‘No politicians, no provocative or hate speeches’: Telangana HC greenlights Dharma Raksha Sabha in Hyderabad with strict conditions

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the police to allow the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi to conduct its public meeting, Dharma Raksha Sabha, in Hyderabad’s Balapur, on Saturday with certain conditions.

“No politician shall be invited and no provocative or hate speeches shall be made/given against any group or community. There shall not be any placards, songs or visual displays that are provocative, derogative against any religion/community, caste or individual,” Justice N V Shravan Kumar said in his order.

Among the conditions, Justice Kumar restricted the gathering to a maximum of 3,000 people between 3 pm and 6 pm. Denying permission for public rallies, the court directed the organisers to strictly adhere to the noise pollution regulation and control rules and clarified that no loudspeakers should be allowed beyond the permitted hours. The police were directed to ensure adequate bandobast and keep strict vigil. The petitioner was directed to make adequate arrangements for parking, deploy volunteers for crowd control, and ensure there is no traffic congestion.

Illegal immigration by Bangladesh nationals and Rohingya

The directions came on a petition filed by Sirigari Brahma Chary, convenor of the Ganesh Sena, which is the youth wing of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi. In his petition, Chary submitted that the meeting was being held “with an objective to sensitise the public about the serious national security concerns arising from illegal immigration of Bangladesh nationals and Rohingyas, who have unlawfully crossed the international border and settled in and around Hyderabad”.

The petition also claimed that illegal immigrants had not only settled in and around Hyderabad but were also reported to have fraudulently obtained government identity documents such as ration cards, Aadhaar, and voter ID cards, thereby altering the demographic composition of the locality and posing a grave and continuing threat to public order, internal security, and national security.

Claiming that Balapur is a communally sensitive area and any such public meeting may lead to law and order concerns, Government Pleader Mahesh Raje submitted that around 6,993 Rohingya Muslims live in 26 camps there as of October 30, 2025. He further submitted that the state government, in coordination with the competent central and local authorities, was vigilant and committed to addressing the concerns relating to identification, apprehension, and deportation of illegal infiltrators, if any, strictly in accordance with the procedure established by law. He contended that necessary mechanisms were in place and that appropriate action was being taken wherever warranted.

Among several reasons, Raje also cited intelligence reports that indicate that anti-social elements may take advantage of the meeting to disturb the public peace and tranquillity in the surrounding areas by trying to barge into the settlements and create law and order issues.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate L Ravichander submitted that the Bangladeshi and Rohingya settlers were illegal entrants and not declared refugees, and hence had no legal residency rights to stay in India. He submitted that no politician would be invited and that there would be no provocative or hate speeches against any group or community. He contended that the meeting was being organised only to sensitise local citizens regarding national security concerns arising from illegal immigration by Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya.

After recording the submissions from both sides, the court noted that the inaction on the part of the police would affect the rights of the petitioner guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. The court, considering the serious concerns raised by the petitioner as well as the sensitivity of the issue, directed the Hyderabad police commissioner to grant permission for the event with the restrictions.

Following the court’s directions, the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi said in a statement that “the Jago Bhagyanagar movement, starting on the 24th in Balapur, will continue until the lakhs of illegal infiltrators in Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad) are arrested and deported”.

Rahul V Pisharody is Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting for IE o... Read More