VIJAYAWADA: Demanding a safety audit of temple properties, TDP supremo and Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu has said the burning of Antarvedi temple chariot in East Godavari district was not a mere accident. It seemed more like a heinous act carried out by some anti-social elements, he added. He alleged that attacks on idols and properties of Hindu temples across Andhra Pradesh have increased in the past 15 months of the YSRC rule.
Referring to how more than 23 idols were destroyed in six temples in Pithapuram in January, he said the TDP has taken a serious view of the ongoing attacks on the temples. It was unfortunate the deities were vandalised at Anjaneya Swamy temple, Seetharamanjaneya Swamy temple, Mutyalamma temple, Someswaramma temple and Kanaka Durgamma temple, he said.
TDP senior leader N Chinarajappa, who led the TDP fact-finding committee to find out the reasons for the chariot burning, demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident. The facts should be known to the world and the culprits should be punished, he said.Chinarajappa deplored that no deterrent action has been taken to prevent recurrence of temple properties’ destruction in the past 15 months. As a result, the miscreants were continuing the attacks without fear of the law, he said.