Celebrations over India's Champions Trophy victory turn political in Telangana

Hours after India lifted the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, social media was abuzz, thanks to incidents from Telangana. Like elsewhere in major towns, cities and villages in India, fans spilt on to the streets to celebrate team India’s victory. Videos and images showed fans in Hyderabad waving the Indian flag, indulging in dancing, bursting crackers and blasting vehicle horns while indulging in a celebratory parade. However, it was accompanied by some unpleasant experiences which soon turned political. 

In the capital’s Dilsukhnagar area, home to innumerable hostels and coaching centres, youth in late numbers assembled on the streets near a metro station causing traffic congestion. The police had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd and clear the highway passing through the area. Visuals of policemen using force against the youngsters went viral. This evoked strong reactions from users who criticised the police and government for allegedly playing spoilsport on a joyous day. This also took a different with senior leaders from the BJP reacting to the video. 

“This is how the Congress govt. in Telangana not allowing India’s #ChampionsTrophy2025 win celebrations. Shameful!” BJP MP and union minister, Kishan Reddy, who represents Secunderabad constituency, wrote on X.

Then there were videos circulated as being shot in Karimanagar where policemen were seen engaging with fans and attempting to remove them from roads. 

A user tagged Karimnagar MP and union minister of state for home, Bandi Sanjay and complained that police officials were discouraging the celebrations to prevent communal tensions. 

The union minister tweeted, “Can the Home Minister of Telangana Shri Revanth Reddy Garu clarify - which country is Karimnagar police supporting? We can’t celebrate India’s win, but a flexi with Pakistan’s name will be removed? How does celebrating India’s victory become a “communal issue”? @TelanganaDGP and DG Intelligence should answer why is Telangana police so eager to create law and order problems. Youth will give an appropriate answer to Congress for such high handedness.”

The police and the congress government representatives played down the allegations by pointing out that the measures were to avoid inconvenience to residents and commuters living in the particular areas. 

Congress MP from Telangana Ch Kiran Kumar Reddy released a video criticising the BJP leaders, “There were celebrations even in Tank Bund (Hyderabad). Only at Dilsukhnagar, there was a law and order issue because of which they had to control the huge crowd. Don’t politicise and spread misinformation that the state government is not interested in India’s win.”