A day after state BJP president Somu Veerraju warned of an intense agitation over the Antarvedi chariot incident, the police have kept several BJP and right-wing leaders under house arrest.

The police have clamped Section 30 in East Godavari district. The six-decade-old wooden chariot or temple car of the deity, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Antarvedi in East Godavari district of the state, got burnt and reduced to ashes. Following this, the BJP warned of agitation. As a preventive measure, the police have kept BJP former president Y Malakondayya , Kakinada city president Chitneedi Srinivas and 75 leaders under house arrest. Devotees and Hindu organizations smell a conspiracy and consider the incident as yet another assault on Hindu religion and faith ever since the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government came to power in the state.

Directorate of Intelligence G KV Mohan Rao has camped at Antarvedi and warned the BJP and its frontal organizations of taking stringent action if they create law and order problems over the Antarvedi incident. Malakondayya questioned the Jagan government’s indifference to the burning of the divine chariot in Antarvedi and the negligence of the officials concerned. He demanded that the government order a probe and the culprits be booked.

So far, no arrests have been made. BJP president Somraju Veeraju demanded a judicial probe into the incident by a sitting judge of the High Court. Veerraju said the incident at Antarvedi is a reflection of the growing intolerance against temples and the Hindu faith. He said the state government had failed to show any seriousness in bringing the culprits to the book.

Inspector general of police ( law and order) A Ravishankar appealed to the people to exercise restraint and warned that anyone who attempts to damage places of worship of other religions would face stringent action.