Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Mahesh Kumar Goud is facing criticism after a video showed him releasing a caged Palapitta, the Indian Roller and Telangana’s state bird, at a Dasara celebration in Uppal, Hyderabad. The forest department and the Hyderabad Police Commissioner had warned against using the bird in festival rituals.
The video, from the event, shows the caged bird being brought to the stage before Goud set it free. He was attending the Ravana Dahan programme held on a large scale in Uppal along with his wife.
Congress leaders who took part in the programme included Uppal constituency in-charge Parameshwar Reddy, District Congress Committee (DCC) president Vajresh Yadav, former corporator Rajit and party leader Bhupatireddy Narsareddy.
Forest officials warn against use of Palapitta
The incident comes weeks after Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Vinay Kumar directed officials to prevent the caging of Indian Rollers for display at Durga pandals and to ensure compliance at temples. The department had also said it rescued 28 Indian Rollers during last year’s Dasara and released them into the wild.
Earlier this Dasara season, Congress leader Jagga Reddy also sparked a row after he and his family were seen holding the birds to display them to the public, which violated the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Why the Palapitta matters during Dasara in Hyderabad
On Vijayadashami, spotting the Palapitta is considered a sign of good fortune and prosperity, particularly in farming communities. Priests link the belief to the Ramayana, saying Lord Rama saw the bird before setting out to defeat Ravana, and that the Pandavas sighted it on returning from exile. It is also regarded as an embodiment of Lord Shiva.
The belief has had a high cost for the bird. Poachers capture Indian Rollers in the run-up to Dasara and sell them for display at pandals, temples and even gated communities. Forest officials have warned that caged birds often stop feeding properly because of stress, and wildlife experts say nearly half of the captured birds die.
The Indian Roller has since been moved to the Near Threatened category on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List following a sharp fall in its population, which experts attribute to poaching, habitat loss and pesticide use.
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