VIJAYAWADA: BJP Rajya Sabha member YS Chowdary (Sujana Chowdary) found fault with the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government for utilising taxpayers’ money to enhance the grant for Jerusalem and Haj pilgrims. Alleging that the YSRC government was dividing the State on religious lines, he wondered what the government would do if Hindus also start demanding such subsidies/grants.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Thursday, the former Union minister said, “It is not right to use government money to sponsor religious programmes. What if Hindus now demand a grant for visiting Kasi or other pilgrim destination? Especially when the government is taking about 23 percent of temples’ revenue as endowments management funds, the government will land in trouble if it continues this way. If at all it wants, the government could promote spiritual tourism where the religious institutions would promote themselves without government’s intervention.”
He also slammed the Jagan government’s move to change the medium of instruction in government schools to English from next academic year. “We are not opposing introduction of English. But, doing so without any preparation or necessary wherewithal would prove costly,” the BJP leader said.
Sujana also criticised the government for rolling out welfare schemes without considering the State’s finances. “The earlier government had burdened the exchequer by borrowing huge debts. The present government is also doing the same,” he alleged.
‘20 leaders, including legislators, in touch with BJP’
BJP MP YS Chowdary (Sujana Chowdary) claimed that MLAs and MPs from YSR Congress, TDP and Jana Sena were in touch with him and his party. “At least 20 people are in touch with me. What is wrong in it? Will or won’t they join is another matter,” he said.
The MP also claimed that all the parties were running after the BJP either for an alliance or to work together. On Thursday, Sujana also met BJP national working president JP Nadda and discussed the roadmap for strengthening the saffron party in Andhra Pradesh.