Bonalu at centre of political row between BJP and Congress

■ Should organisers beg for funds, fumes Bandi Sanjay

■ Union Minister compares Bonalu and Ramzan allocations, alleges discrimination against Hindu festivals

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The ongoing Bonalu festival has become the latest flashpoint in Telangana politics, with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar launching a sharp attack on the Congress government over the allocation of funds for the festival. Accusing the state government of discriminating against Hindu festivals, the BJP leader alleged that Bonalu, despite being celebrated in more than 3,000 temples across Hyderabad and Secunderabad, had received only Rs.20 crore in government assistance, while Rs.33 crore was allocated for Ramzan celebrations.

Speaking to the media after offering prayers at the historic Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad on Sunday, Bandi Sanjay questioned whether the government expected Bonalu organisers and devotees to "beg for funds" to conduct one of Telangana's most significant cultural and religious festivals. He said the controversy had highlighted what he described as the Congress government's "step motherly treatment" towards Hindu festivals.

The Union Minister alleged that although Bonalu had been declared a state festival, the government had failed to provide financial support proportionate to its scale. Pointing out that over 80 percent of Telangana's population is Hindu, he argued that funding for religious festivals should reflect population proportions. He also urged the government to ensure adequate allocations for upcoming Ganesh festivities.

Bandi Sanjay further criticised the lack of basic facilities for devotees visiting the temple during the Bonalu celebrations. He said many devotees standing in long queues were facing hardship due to inadequate drinking water, shelter and other essential arrangements. According to him, merely visiting temples during festivals was not enough, and the government should ensure proper infrastructure and amenities for devotees.

Escalating the political attack, the BJP leader referred to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's earlier remarks that "Congress means Muslims and Muslims mean Congress," alleging that such statements reflected the ruling party's priorities. He accused the Congress of showing greater concern for Muslim festivals while neglecting Hindu religious events.

At the same time, Bandi Sanjay did not spare the previous BRS government either, alleging that it too had failed to adequately fund Bonalu celebrations during its tenure. He said successive governments had neglected one of Telangana's most iconic festivals despite officially recognising it as a state festival.

Recalling the historical significance of Bonalu, Bandi Sanjay noted that the festival originated in the early nineteenth century after devotees offered prayers to Goddess Mahankali during a cholera outbreak and vowed to present Bonam if the epidemic subsided.

He described Bonalu as a symbol of Telangana's culture and traditions and called upon the Hindu community to unite and demand equitable financial support for Hindu festivals. He reiterated the BJP's demand that the state government allocate funds for religious festivals on the basis of population proportion, arguing that Bonalu deserved significantly greater financial backing than what had been sanctioned this year.