Hyderabad Dandiya Controversy: Engineering Student Beaten, Police Deny Communal Angle

In a shocking incident, a 21-year-old engineering student was assaulted during a Dandiya programme organized at a private hotel in Hyderabad. According to reports, the incident occurred at the Park Hotel near Raj Bhavan Road on September 29.

The student, who had attended the event with two friends, was reportedly beaten by two unidentified persons while playing Dandiya, sustaining minor injuries. A native of Hyderabad, he managed to escape and later lodged a complaint at the Panjagutta Police Station.

A video of the incident, now circulating widely on social media, shows the accused group wearing saffron scarves and raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans while dragging the youngster out of the hotel. A police officer is also seen holding the student in the footage.

Reports suggest that a group of Bajrang Dal activists stormed the hotel, questioned the student about his identity, and allegedly attacked him after learning he belonged to another community. The activists, however, denied the assault, claiming they only caught him and handed him over to the police. They also accused the hotel management of allowing non-Hindu participants at Dandiya events for commercial gain.

Conflicting reports have emerged. While some accounts say cases were booked against Bajrang Dal activists, others cite police officers claiming the assault stemmed from suspicions that the student misbehaved with women at the event — an allegation the police later clarified was unfounded. Officers also denied that the assault was linked to the student’s community.

This incident comes amid growing reports across the country of individuals from non-Hindu communities being denied entry to Dandiya events.

#BajrangDal activists were booked by police after they caught a youth from a different community at a #Dandiya event organised at Park Hotel in Somajiguda and allegedly manhandled him upon learning his identity, before handing him over to the authorities. The victim is a resident… pic.twitter.com/YeI2aAxQjc
— Sowmith Yakkati (@YakkatiSowmith) October 1, 2025