A fight over Ganesh statue installation in Hyderabad is shared with a false communal narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 24, 2020
Video of a fight between two groups is being shared widely on social media with a claim that some local Muslim goons in Hyderabad opposed the installation of Ganesh statue and even damaged it. The video shows a few persons beating others. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Muslims opposing the installation of Ganesh statue in Hyderabad and damaging it.
Fact: Moghalpura Police Station SHO has confirmed to FACTLY that both the groups in the video are Hindus. They are also distant relatives and that there is no communal angle to the incident. A minor scuffle broke out when one group opposed the installation of the Ganesh state in front of their house while the other group argued that there were installing the statue at the same place for many years. Also, the statue was not damaged during the fight. It was damaged during transport i.e. before the fight took place. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched about the video, it was found that the same video was posted (archived) by many users on social media claiming the incident happened at Lal Darwaza in Hyderabad.
To know the factual status of this issue, FACTLY contacted Moghalpura Police Station SHO for further information regarding the incident. He has clarified that there is no communal angle to the incident. He said, ‘both the parties in the video are Hindus. They are also distant relatives. A minor scuffle broke out when one group opposed the installation of the Ganesh in front of their house while the other group argued that there were installing the statue at the same place for many years. Later, both the groups came to a compromise and no case has been registered’.  Also, he clarified that the statue was not damaged during the fight. It was damaged during transport i.e. before the fight.
To sum it up, both the groups in the video are Hindus. There is no communal angle to the incident.