Hyderabad, Sep 15 (IANS): Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi on Sunday issued an ultimatum to the Telangana government to remove restrictions on the immersion of Ganesh idols on Tank Bund.

In an act of defiance, leaders of Ganesh Utsav Samithi removed a barricade erected by authorities to immerse an idol. They also removed the flex banners, declaring a ban on idol immersion on Tank Bund as per the orders of the High Court

Stating that there are no court orders banning the immersion of idols into the lake, the Samithi leaders immersed an idol brought by some devotees by removing a barricade.

Police, which did nothing to stop Samithi leaders, later re-installed the barricade at the same spot.

The Ganesh Utsav Samithi demanded the government to make all necessary arrangements for immersion on Tank Bund by Sunday evening.

Samithi General Secretary Rajya Vardhan Reddy said the government should help in the smooth and peaceful conduct of immersion by not imposing any restrictions. He said if the government fails to make the arrangements by removing the barricades, there will be direct action.

He claimed that the Samithi had been organising immersion of idols from Tank Bund for the last 45 years with the help of the government. He wondered why the government imposed the restrictions this year.

Samithi's leader warned that the devotees would not tolerate this and declared that they would immerse the idols in Tank Bund.

Though authorities have made the arrangements for immersion into Hussain Sagar from NTR Marg and Necklace Road sides, they imposed restrictions on Tank Bund.

Police and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) have already put up banners, declaring that immersion is not allowed on Tank Bund as per the orders of the Telangana High Court. Police have also erected barricades between the road and the lake to prevent immersion.

The Ganesh Utsav Samithi claimed that the High Court has not barred immersion into Hussain Sagar and hence there should be no restrictions.

Its leaders stated that even in the review meeting held by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and attended by the Director General of Police, police commissioners, and heads of all the departments, it was not said that there was a ban on immersion on Tank Bund.

Ganesh festivities, which began on September 7, will culminate with a massive immersion procession on September 17.

Thousands of idols from various parts of Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and the outskirts are immersed in Hussain Sagar Lake in the heart of the city. Lakhs of people attend the annual procession.

Tank Bund, a 2.2 km long road, connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and is a popular spot for tourists on the banks of the picturesque lake.