Ram Statue Removed From Basheerbagh After Push To Rename Crossing

Overview

• Temple authorities removed a large Lord Ram statue from the Basheerbagh junction and loaded it on a truck on Saturday after direction from civic officials, with police deployed at the site.
• The statue had been installed for Dussehra/Navaratri at the nearby Kanaka Durga temple and was the focus of a campaign by VHP and Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi to call the junction “Sriram Chowk.”
• VHP figures promoted the new name on social media on October 19, which prompted public objections and a challenge from Majlis Bachao Tehreek that the installation lacked permission from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and ignored Basheerbagh’s historical name.
• Officials cited rules against unauthorised structures on public roads when ordering the removal, and the trust said it complied with civic instructions to clear the festival display.
• The takedown has produced sharp political backlash from the BJP and VHP, who have vowed renewed efforts including a proposed 108‑ft idol, while the episode raises broader questions about control of public space and formal place‑naming authority.