Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asserted that AP Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy had no right to continue in his post if his Government failed to prevent the attacks on temples, idols and Hindu dharma.
Mr. Naidu said: “Jagan Reddy is a Christian CM. I am not faulting that. He has his own beliefs. I believe in Venkateswara Swamy. But attacks should not be allowed on other religions. Jagan has no right to continue as CM even for a minute if he failed to prevent these attacks.”
The TDP chief asked why the ruling YCP failed to take immediate action in the Ramatheertham desecration incident. Even now, another incident took place at Singarayakonda in Prakasam district. The Swamivari idol at Varaha Narasimha Swamy Temple was disfigured. The Government and the police were more interested in filing cases against the Opposition leaders rather than nabbing the actual culprits. Not a single accused person was arrested when over 140 incidents of desecration and vandalism took place.
Addressing the TDP State general body meeting at NTR Bhavan, Mr. Naidu launched a scathing attack on the YCP’s religious intolerance, saying that the Chief Minister himself was misusing his position to promote conversions. This was a blatant violation of the Constitution. Who gave the authority to Jaganmohan Reddy to carry on this and hurt the sentiments of other religions. Not just Christians, the Hindus and the Muslims also have their own sentiments. Everybody was entitled under the Constitution to their own faith and belief.
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu deplored that a direct attack was going on as devotees were being approached and induced during their visits to temples. A Deputy Chief Minister himself said his Christmas greetings at the Tirumala temple. The Christmas celebrations were held at the police station itself. The CM has taken an oath while taking over the post. As such, he should rise above the considerations of caste and religion. All communities and sections should be treated equally. The TDP has been silent on the omissions and the commissioner of the YCP regime but it would not spare any longer.
Accusing the Chief Minister of resorting to religion-based vote bank politics, Mr. Naidu said Rs. 5,000 honorarium was being paid to the pastors. This was going on even though they were SCs and enjoying reservations. The Government cannot give honorarium to them. The vote bank politics was being done by using the churches. A close vigil should be placed on the new churches coming up in villages and who were behind them. The TDP was not against anybody’s belief but it was determined to firmly fight back the injustices and atrocities on any religion.
Mr. Naidu deplored that everybody in the Government behaved horribly with respect to the cutting off of the head of Rama idol at Ramatheertham. The CM, the Home Minister, the DGP and even the district SP were all Christians. They should have taken prompt steps to clear doubts among Hindu devotees. But they displayed total negligence. The severed idol head of Rama was traced in the ‘koneru’ sacred tank only after pressure mounted by the TDP.
Decrying murderous attacks on the party leaders, the TDP chief suspected a pattern and a standard modus operandi as the cell phones of all the victims were getting lost after the murders. Dalit youth Om Pratap of Punganur was killed just for making some frustrated remarks against the YCP liquor mafia. His cell phone was not traceable. Nandam Subbaiah was murdered at Proddatur and Puramsetti Ankulu at Pedagarlapadu. Both their cell phones were missing. Cases were filed against JC Prabhakar Reddy just for expressing his democratic protest.
