The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Telangana has issued a sharp statement condemning what it described as the “unwarranted harassment” of Hindu street vendors and small traders selling Diwali-related items across Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana.
In a press note issued on October 15, Dr. Ravinuthala Shashidhar, National Spokesperson of the VHP, demanded that police and government departments immediately stop intimidating firecracker shopkeepers and small-scale vendors during the Diwali season.
According to Dr. Shashidhar, numerous complaints have surfaced from across Hyderabad alleging that the Task Force police have been targeting temporary firecracker stalls, despite traders having obtained all necessary permissions from the relevant departments.
“The police department must clarify why permissions are being denied to Hindu traders who depend on Diwali sales for their livelihood. Such actions amount to suppressing Hindu businesses and enforcing an undeclared ban on Hindu festivals,” said Dr. Ravinuthala Shashidhar.
The VHP further demanded that GHMC, the Revenue Department, and other government agencies refrain from troubling small Hindu vendors and footpath sellers who make their living by selling festival materials. With Diwali just five days away, the VHP urged the state police to issue all pending trade permissions without delay.
Dr. Shashidhar criticised the Congress-led Telangana government, alleging that its administration has shown a consistent pattern of sidelining Hindu festivals while “bending over backwards” to accommodate other communities’ celebrations.
“This selective enforcement of restrictions deepens resentment and divides society along religious lines,” he said, adding that similar patterns are visible in other Congress-ruled states like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, where Hindu religious processions and firecracker sales often face “excessive scrutiny or arbitrary bans.”
The VHP also reminded the government of the Supreme Court’s recent judgement upholding the right to firecrackers in compliance with environmental guidelines. The Court had clarified that no state government can impose a blanket ban in the name of pollution control, and that “religious festivals cannot be restricted selectively.”
Reiterating its position, the VHP said that the harassment of Hindu vendors and restrictions on Diwali celebrations amount to an attack on cultural freedom and the economic survival of marginal traders.
The Parishad has appealed to the public to purchase Diwali goods from local Hindu vendors and artisans, emphasising that such a move will promote Swadeshi products and ensure that “the light of Diwali reaches every Hindu household.”
“By buying Swadeshi products and supporting local Hindu vendors, people can ensure that the light of Diwali reaches every Hindu family,” Dr. Ravinuthala Shashidhar concluded.
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