Ayyappa swamis protest as flexis removed at Malkajgiri

Malkajgiri: Ayyappa devotees took out a rally from Safilguda Crossroads to Malkajgiri circle GHMC office and staged protest, condemning removal of flexis by GHMC staff, which were placed to give location information about the Ayyappa puja on Thursday. They raised objection over the way flexis were torn and thrown into dust bins. The protestors raised slogans demanding apology from GHMC officials for removing flexis.

Speaking on the occasion, protestors said that GHMC officials never objected to flexis for the programs organized by political leaders and large private companies but removed them when devotees placed flexis to inform the public about the location of the puja, that too for a limited period. They said that flexis were placed not for any publicity but to inform other devotees about the location.

The protestors withdrew their protest when GHMC Deputy Commissioner T Dasharath assured them that flexis would not be removed. Although placing flexis was illegal, permission was being given to place flexis as it was a devotional programme, he said. Ayyappa devotees Ashok, Ravi, Basha, Mohan Raj, Krishna, Bikshapthi, Mallesh, Chandrashekhar and others participated in the protest.