Watch: People Seen Carrying Away Plants From Andhra's ASR International Airport; Viral Video Sparks Debate

The inauguration of Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) International Airport has become controversial. Viral videos purportedly show guests removing ornamental plants and entering decorative fountains after the event, sparking a debate on social media about civic duty and the handling of public property.

The grand inauguration of Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) International Airport has gone viral for an unexpected reason. Rather than the airport's top-notch infrastructure drawing notice, videos purportedly showing guests removing ornamental plants from the property have generated a contentious discussion on social media.

After the inauguration event, a number of videos that went viral on social media showed individuals removing freshly planted trees and carting them away. Another video showed several guests entering decorative fountains inside the airport complex, which sparked complaints about how public property was handled during the festivities.

One of the viral posts was shared by X user IndianTechGuide, who wrote, “People were seen taking away plants after the inauguration ceremony at Vizag Airport."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the airport in Bhogapuram on August 2. The recently built airport, which spans about 2,200 acres, is being heralded as one of India's biggest aviation infrastructure projects. Authorities allegedly used some 5,000 state-run buses and about 7,000 private and VIP vehicles to convey the large number of people who had assembled to see the event.

Nevertheless, the joyous mood quickly gave way to controversy when footage of many individuals plucking ornamental plants—including their roots—from the airport's manicured areas appeared online.

The strange sights rapidly gained notice on social media, as many people expressed worries about civic duty and made analogies to earlier incidents involving destruction to public property.

Watch Viral Video

🚨 People were seen taking away plants after the inauguration ceremony at Vizag Airport. 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Excg6nXBDV

— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) August 2, 2026

Social media users quickly expressed a wide range of viewpoints in thousands of replies to the films. Some made an effort to comprehend the facts behind the occurrence, while others denounced the purported removal of public property.