'Political Guerrilla Warfare': Andhra CM breaks his silence on temple attacks, orders a probe

Amravati, January 05: After series of attacks on Hindu temples in the state, Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy broke the silence and described attacks on temples as "political guerrilla warfare intended to defame the Andhra government and brand it as anti-Hindu". He alleged that oppositions are making all efforts to spin these incidents into political and religious issues in a state not known for religious divide".

 

 

 Hitting out at the Opposition, he deplored that the political rivals were not even sparing God to reap dividends. He cited nine instances where the attack on the temples coincided with the launch of various welfare schemes by his government.

 

"Some people are neither afraid nor have devotion to God. They are playing politics with God, playing foul games with idols. They are vandalizing the idols and slinging mud on us through yellow journalism. They are spreading caste and religious hatred. Who will be benefited if idols at temples are broken? Who will be benefited is people's beliefs are attacked with wrong and malicious words," he said.

 

The Chief Minister further pointed out that attacks on temples and acts of vandalism are being carried in remote locations and isolated places. “The government like never before has installed CCTV cameras in 20,000 temples. The temples, where the acts of vandalism were carried out, are not under the endowments department,” he said and pointed out that most of them are under the management of TDP leaders.

 

Further, the Chief Minister alleged that media houses aligned to opposition parties are drumming up these incidents to divert public attention on the welfare schemes in a bid to communally tarnish the party which captured power for the first time, almost 10 years after its launch.

 

Furthermore, CM Reddy has ordered the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to probe the "unfortunate incident" of the desecration of Lord Ram idol in Ramateertham of Nellimarla Mandal in Vizianagaram district.

 

State Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao said that the Chief Minister has also ordered the renovation and repair work of the temple and has said that a new idol of Lord Ram will be installed there.

 

"Chief Minister has ordered CID inquiry into the unfortunate incident of Lord Ram idol desecration at Ramateertham. CM Reddy has ordered for modernization of the temple. A new idol will be installed there. We have approved the design which was accepted by the officials. We will announce the date of the installation of the new idol within two days after consulting Agama scholars,” Rao said after chairing a meet with the higher officials of Endowments and police departments.

 

A few weeks ago, a 400-year-old idol of Lord Rama at the Sri Rama Swamy Devasthanam in Vizianagaram district was found in a desecrated condition. Similarly, Lord Subrahmanya Swamy's idol in Lord Vigneshwara temple of Rajahmundry district was also found in the same condition. Yesterday Goddess Sita idol was found broken in the Sitaram Temple near Pandit Nehru Busstop in Vijayawada.