DigitEye India Fact Checkers
An image of Ganesha idol being taken in a police van has gone viral on social media with a claim that the Congress government of Karnataka ‘arrested’ Ganesh Ji and it related the image with a question as to why Hindus vote for Congress to get ‘insulted’. See the claims on X.com here:
भारत के इतिहास में पहली बार किसी राज्य की पुलिस ने गणेश जी को गिरफ्तार किया
जी हां कर्नाटक की कांग्रेस सरकार की कांग्रेसी पुलिस ने गणेश जी को हिरासत में लिया
हिंदुओं क्यों अपमानित होने के लिए कांग्रेस को वोट देते हो ? pic.twitter.com/Q61UMVTC1i
— Manish Kasyap Son Of Bihar (@ManishKasyapsob) September 13, 2024
The claim reads in Hindi:”भारत के इतिहास में पहली बार किसी राज्य की पुलिस ने गणेश जी को गिरफ्तार किया l जी हां कर्नाटक की कांग्रेस सरकार की कांग्रेसी पुलिस ने गणेश जी को हिरासत में लिया …हिंदुओं क्यों अपमानित होने के लिए कांग्रेस को वोट देते हो ?” Translated into English, it reads: “For the first time in the history of India, Ganesh Ji was arrested by the police of a state. Yes, the Congress police of the Congress government of Karnataka arrested Ganesh ji. Why do Hindus vote for Congress to get insulted?”
कर्नाटक पुलिस ने श्री गणेश जी को हिंदू कार्यकर्ताओ के साथ हिरासत मे ले लिया
ये गिरफ्तारियां नाग मंगला मे गणेश जुलूस पर कट्टरपंथियो द्वारा किए गए पथराव की निंदा करते हुए विरोध प्रदर्शन के बाद हुईं
अभी भी समय है जाग जाओ हिंदुओ नही तो यही हाल पूरे देश मे होगाhttps://t.co/7IAR9bi9YG pic.twitter.com/iert8wnp1q— कृष्णा सिंह राजपुत 🇮🇳 (@Krishna_SR1) September 13, 2024
The claim can be accessed here and here.
FACT CHECK
First, we checked for the news reports about the incident and found that the claim that the Ganesh puja was never banned in Karnataka. Secondly, the news here and here reveal the necessity why the Ganesh idol was taken in a police van.
Background:
Following communal riots which erupted on September 11, when a Ganesh Chaturthi procession in Nagamangala, Mandya district in Karnataka, was stopped in front of a mosque for an extended period, Karnataka Police had arrested 55 persons and imposed prohibitory orders throughout the state. Soon after the arrests, BJP workers all over the state staged protests.
What Happened?
On September 13, 2024, one such protest was held near Bengaluru Town Hall demanding an inquiry into the Mandya communal violence, in defiance of prohibitory orders at the location. Since one person among the protesters was holding a Ganesha idol, the police detained him along with others and placed the idol he was holding in an empty van, which led to the image being portrayed as the arrest of Lord Ganesha.
The Bengaluru Police have clarified that the protesters were assembling at Town Hall, Bengaluru, in violation of a Karnataka High Court order that allows protests only at the Freedom Park. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Bengaluru Central Divison, Shekhar H. Tekkannavar, told media: “On Sept 13, 2024, Hindu groups protested at Bengaluru’s Town Hall over the Nagamangala Ganesh procession incident, defying a HC order. Demonstrators detained. Ganapati idol was later immersed by authorities with rituals.” Hence, the claim is false.
Claim: Image of Ganesha idol in police van claimed as Karnataka Police arrested Lord Ganesha.
Conclusion: Misrepresentation — When protesters brought a Ganesha idol to a prohibited location, police detained them and placed the idol in a van and later immersed by authorities with rituals.
Rating: Misrepresentation — 
