Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Potina Venkata Mahesh was detained on Saturday after he called for a protest over the incident of three silver lion statues missing from Kanaka Durga temple.

The Jana Sena Party leader made a bid to protest in front of Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas Rao’s residence on Saturday. The Jana Sena leader demanded that Vellampalli Srinivas quit as endowments minister and Suresh Babu as executive officer owning up responsibility for the missing silver lion statutes.

BJP, an ally of Jana Sena, has launched ‘Chalo Amalapuram’ agitation over the Antarvedi incident in which a century-old chariot was burnt. State BJP president Somu Veerraju also met Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and submitted a representation over the increasing attacks on Hindu temples, including the Antarvedi chariot fire incident and the arrest of Hindu activists by East Godavari police two days back, rushed to the temple and inspected the chariot. Former Chief Minister and TDP president Chandrababu Naidu also condemned the government for its failure to protect Hindu temples in the state.