Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Special Correspondent

Temple attacks: bid to tarnish image of State govt., say Ministers

Officials consecrating the wood to be used in the making of the chariot, at Antarvedi in East Godavari district on Saturday. (Source: THE HINDU)

Ministers Cherukuvada Sri Ranganatha Raju and Velamapalli Srinivasa Rao have alleged that a conspiracy is on to project the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in bad light by blaming it for the growing attacks on temples.

The Ministers visited Visakha Sri Sarada Peetham at China Mushidiwada here on Monday and sought the blessings of the Peetham Head Sri Swaroopanandendra Mahaswamy and the Uttarapeethadhipathi Sri Swatmanandendra Swamy.

Later speaking to the media, Mr. Raju and Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that vested interests were indulging in attacks on temples and pranksters were continuing them.

The building of a new chariot at Antarvedi would be completed before the temple festival. Saying that it was wrong to link the Chief Minister to a particular community or caste, they wondered why the leaders belonging to Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) had failed to protest, when several temples were demolished by the Chandrababu Naidu government for the Krishna pushkarams.

The temples were not an obstruction for hosting the pushkarams, but were demolished. The YSRCP government has plans to reconstruct them. Some of them would be reconstructed on completion of the flyover work and others would be rebuilt at nearby places. People were aware as to how the Chandrababu Naidu government had demolished them, the Ministers said. “The government is serious on the attacks on temples and will take measures to prevent their recurrence. A confusion was being created in the minds of the public. We will explain to the people on the attempts being made by various parties to politicise the issue. We will not hurt the sentiments of Hindus,” they said.

Earlier, the Ministers went round the Peetham complex and offered prayers at various temples on the premises.

Chariot model

They showed a model of the new chariot, to be constructed at Antarvedi, to the seers. Sri Swaroopanandendra suggested conduct of ‘homam’ and special ‘pujas’ at the temples, where attacks had occurred.

The seer also suggested appointment of an ‘Agama Advisory Board’ with pandits to come out with measures needed to regain the confidence of the public.

Brahmin Corporation Chairman Malladi Vishnu and Endowments Commissioner Arjuna Rao were present.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.