As the number of attacks on Hindu temples increases in Andhara Pradesh, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has alleged that these attacks on temples are an act of conspiracy by political opponents to defame and brand it “anti-Hindu”.
CM Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday (4 January) gave an explanation to his theory that all attacks on Hindu temples occur only when some prestigious welfare programmes were being launched by his government and deplored that his political rivals would stoop to such low by not even sparing God to reap dividends
“Who benefits from breaking God’s idols? Who will benefit from the crimes in temples and religious places? Who will benefit by inflaming the passions of people and resorting to violence? Who will benefit by propaganda hurting the public faith and poisonous propaganda?” he asked.
Reddy gave examples of nine temple attacks in the southern state which according to him with some mega welfare schemes. For example, on 14 November 2019 when the Nadu-Nadu scheme aimed at bringing government schools on par with corporate schools was launched, reports of a temple being desecrated in Guntur emerged.
“Going to some far off deserted place or village, sometime in the midnight, they go to a small temple and break idols and the next day they publicise it on the social media and the opposition leaders go there to politicise while the yellow media exaggerates it,” he said.
He also said that when he the price stabilisation fund worth Rs 3,000 crore was launched on 15 January 2020, reports on some idols being broken in Pithapuram had emerged. He went on to give more such examples of Hindu temple descriptions when government schemes were launched.
Reddy was categorical that the opposition parties are adding fuel to fire to divert public attention on the welfare schemes and attempts are being made to communally tarnish his party which has a majority in the AP assembly.
“The society has deteriorated to such an extent that nobody fears or respects God. For the sake of politics, even God is not being spared. God is also being brought to politics and with God politics, some people are aiming to benefit and we are going to the climax of kalyug,” he alleged.
Reddy called these attacks to “guerrilla warfare tactics”, and called out on Telugu Desam Party President, N Chandrababu Naidu for “making all efforts to spin these incidents into political and religious issues in a state not known for religious divide”.
In the meanwhile, Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivas has said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered a CID probe into the desecration of idol in Ramateertham temple and asserted that the culprits would be nabbed in a few days.