Hyderabad, Aug. 2 -- union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday accused the Telangana government of neglecting the Bonalu festival and demanded higher budgetary allocations for Hindu festivals in proportion to the Hindu population in the state.
After offering prayers at the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple during the Bonalu celebrations in Secunderabad, Bandi Sanjay extended greetings to devotees and described Bonalu as a symbol of Telangana's culture and traditions. Recalling the festival's origins during the cholera and smallpox epidemics of the early 19th century, he said the tradition of offering Bonam began after devotees' prayers to Goddess Mahankali were answered.
The union Minister alleged that despite declaring...