A Hyderabad Police internal memo denying permission to a Sub-Inspector to observe Ayyappa Deeksha practices while on duty has triggered a political row in Telangana, with critics accusing the Congress-led state government of applying religious rules selectively.
The memo, issued in the South East Zone in early November 2025, cited earlier head office instructions and stated that police personnel could not grow hair or beard, wear black clothing, or remain barefoot while on duty as part of religious observances. The communication advised officers wishing to take up Ayyappa Deeksha to apply for leave instead.
Hyderabad City Police has asked its officers who wish to undertake the sacred Ayyappa Deeksha to do so by taking leave, and not while on duty.
Is the Telangana Police Department now functioning under the diktats of AIMIM?
The same department grants special half-day concessions… pic.twitter.com/eD9Xu0Q6O7
— BJP Telangana (@BJP4Telangana) November 25, 2025
Responding to the backlash, Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said he had recently come across the memo and would seek clarity from senior officials. He described it as a “sentimental issue” and added that, if such a rule existed, it should be applied uniformly. Police officials meanwhile said the memo was intended as an internal communication that had inadvertently circulated publicly and stated that the matter was being verified.
A Stark Contrast: The Ramzan 2025 Precedent
The controversy gains a deeper political dimension when contrasted with the state government’s own actions just nine months prior. In February 2025, the Telangana government, under Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, issued a sweeping official order granting all Muslim employees permission to leave their offices early at 4 PM throughout the entire month of Ramzan.
Telangana Government has issued an order permitting all Government Muslim Employees/Teachers/Contract /Out-sourcing/Boards/ Corporations & Public Sector Employees working in the State to leave their Offices/Schools at 4.00 pm during the Month of Ramzan from 2nd March to 31st… pic.twitter.com/bMXUpxPr3m
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2025
The policy, issued ahead of Ramzan, which was expected to begin on 28 February 2025 and conclude on 30 March 2025, was widely reported at the time as a religious accommodation measure for Muslim employees.
Welcome to Congress (Sharia) rule in Telangana.
For Muslims – Leave early by 4PM for entire month
For Hindus – Apply leave if you want to take Ayyappa Deeksha
Still Hindus will vote for Congress. pic.twitter.com/VzmZQRvn9S
— Tathvam-asi (@ssaratht) November 26, 2025
A Pattern of Appeasement?
This side-by-side comparison has fueled accusations that the Congress government in Telangana practices a policy of selective secularism: one that readily accommodates the religious practices of one community while using the cloak of “uniform rules” to suppress those of another.
Critics argue that the state had no qualms about formally integrating religious observance into the official work schedule for Muslim employees during Ramzan. However, when it comes to a Hindu officer seeking to observe a deeply personal and widely respected deeksha, the same administration suddenly retreats behind a rigid interpretation of secularism, effectively branding the practice as incompatible with official duty.
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