VIJAYAWADA: BJP State Chief Somu Veerraju and BJP leaders staged a protest in Vijayawada on Wednesday demanding that the State government rebuild the temples demolished during Krishna Pushkarams immediately. The BJP also criticised Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivas for allegedly stating that the government would build dargahs and demanded his resignation for the same.
The BJP leaders staged a dharna near Prakasam Barrage where a temple was demolished during the previous government’s regime for the river festival. Around 27 temples were razed down, the BJP leaders said and demanded that all of them be restored.
While Somu demanded an answer from TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in whose regime the temples were demolished, the BJP state chief also came down heavily on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for not taking up any works after coming to power.
“The present CM does not seem to have faith in Hindu Dharmic Institution. His government sanctioned Rs 5 crore for dargahs and Rs 24 crore for churches, but has not even taken any steps to restore the temples. The CM should immediately focus on the issue,” he demanded.
Somu, who is also an MLC, dared the CM if he could touch the assets belonging to Christian institutions.
“Can he take the money from Christian institutions which have thousands of crores of rupees worth assets? But, the government freely takes away funds from Hindu institutions,” he alleged. He also demanded the resignation of the endowments minister.
“When the temples were demolished, Velampalli Srinivas also protested and said that they would be rebuilt. Now, he stated that dargahs will be built with public money. The BJP demands his resignation,” he said.
Somu also sought to remind that the YSRC government has not taken any action in the case of Antarvedi temple chariot fire incident and the theft of silver lions of Kanaka Durga temple chariot.