Former Union Minister and TDP Polit Bureau Member Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju on December 22 slammed the Andhra Pradesh government for putting a plaque for the reconstruction of Kodandarama temple on the hill of Ramateertham temple, 11km away from Fort City.
When the Ministers and other officials were about to lay foundation stone for the reconstruction of the temple, Mr. Ashok expressed his displeasure over ignoring protocol, tradition and culture. Mr. Ashok and TDP leaders reportedly tried to remove the plaque in which names of Ministers were written. Only at the bottom, trustee Mr. Ashok’s name was written.
Several TDP leaders including Boddula Narasinga Rao, P. Rajesh and others strongly objected the violation of protocol and new tradition of putting plaques on the temple premises. Tension prevailed when Mr. Ashok and other TDP leaders tried to remove the plaque. The officials who gathered there tried to pacify the situation. The Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Pamula Pushpa Srivani, Minister for Endowments Vellamapalli Srinivas who arrived after the incident broke the coconuts and laid foundation stone for the reconstruction of the temple.
Mr. Ashok who was invited to break coconut has refused to do so saying that only trustee was supposed to perform puja and lay foundation stone. Mr. Ashok strongly objected YSRCP leaders’ presence with shoes and chappals. Pusapati family had been functioning as trustees of the temple for the last 400 years. The government has refused to accept Mr. Ashok’s one lakh donation for the reconstruction of the temple in which idol of Lord Rama was vandalised one year ago.
The incident caused uproar in the State and made the government to reconstruct the temple. However, the process has also caused uproar with the tussle between the YSRCP and the TDP leaders.
