A video showing Padma Shri awardee Darshanam Mogilaiah, popularly known as Kinnera Mogilaiah, personally removing posters from a public pillar in Hyderabad has gone viral on social media, triggering a wider debate on civic responsibility and cleanliness in the city.
Padma Shri awardee Mogilaiah was seen cleaning a Hyderabad Metro pillar after posters were pasted over his portrait.
— Naveena (@TheNaveena) December 17, 2025
A reminder : stop defacing the city. Keep Hyderabad clean. pic.twitter.com/ljTZT7qaz7
In the footage, the celebrated folk musician is seen applying whitener and carefully cleaning a pillar near his own portrait, which had been defaced with posters. The act has struck a chord with many netizens, who said it was disappointing that a respected cultural icon had to take matters into his own hands to address what they described as avoidable damage to public property.
Darshanam Mogilaiah, a distinguished folk artist from Telangana, is globally known for mastering the rare tribal musical instrument called the kinnera—a traditional string instrument with roots dating back several centuries. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2022 for his exceptional contribution to preserving and promoting this endangered art form.
The video has prompted widespread appeals to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to take stricter action against individuals and organisations that paste posters, banners and stickers on public infrastructure. Several social media users tagged @GHMCOnline, demanding penalties for offenders and better monitoring across the city.
One user urged authorities to impose fines, noting that posters often carry phone numbers and addresses, making it easy to identify those responsible. Another questioned the effectiveness of current enforcement, arguing that deploying a single official is insufficient to curb the problem and calling for more robust surveillance and accountability.
Others expressed sadness and frustration over what they saw as a lack of civic sense. A user described the incident as reflective of a “regressive mindset,” adding that such negligence forces citizens—even eminent figures—to clean up after others. Some also referenced the concept of learned helplessness, stressing the need for stronger institutional action rather than relying on individual goodwill.
The incident has once again brought the spotlight on the defacement of public spaces in Hyderabad, with many hoping that Mogilaiah’s gesture will serve as a wake-up call for both authorities and citizens to uphold cleanliness and respect shared urban spaces.