KADAPA: Tension prevailed in Proddatur town on Thursday night after Forest Department officials demolished an under-construction Varahi Amma temple on forest land along the Proddatur-Yerraguntla road near Pennar river catchment area.
Acting on District Collector Sridhar Cherukuri’s instructions to clear encroachments, forest staff led by Ranger Hemanjali reached the site around 10 pm and used a JCB to raze the structure. Officials also removed Navagraha idols. The temple had been under construction for several months without approvals.
The demolition triggered protests by BJP, VHP, RSS and other Hindu organisations, which staged a sit-in demanding action against officials and restoration of the temple.
On Friday morning, protesters intensified their agitation by blocking the Proddatur-Yerraguntla road, disrupting traffic for nearly an hour and leaving vehicles stranded for up to two kilometres. Police rushed to the spot and held talks with agitators to restore order.
MLA N Varadarajulu Reddy said temples should not be built on forest land without prior permission, adding that local officials acted on higher instructions. However, he criticised the manner of demolition and assured protesters that efforts would be made to reconstruct the temple after securing necessary approvals.
Following his assurance, the agitation was called off and normalcy returned.