VIJAYAWADA/VISAKHAPATNAM: To counter the criticism by the Opposition parties, particularly the TDP, over attacks on temples in the state, the government has decided to reconstruct the temples demolished by the previous TDP government in 2016 in the name of arrangements for the river Krishna Pushkarams.With the chariot at the Antarvedi Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple being burnt, and three silver lion statues going missing from the chariot of Goddess Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada, Opposition parties accused the government of failing to prevent attacks on temples.
The government decided to hand over the probe into the Antarvedi incident to the Central Bureau of India (CBI), but then the Kanaka Durga temple incident came to light and gave the Opposition fresh ammunition to lash out at the government.
The YSRC has been asserting that the TDP, BJP and Jana Sena, which are making a hue and cry over the “attacks” on temples, were in a ruling alliance when 40-odd small and ancient temples in Vijayawada were demolished in 2016. Among these were the Vinayaka temple on Canal Road, the historic Seethammavari Padalu, and the temples of Saneeswara Swamy and Dakshina Mukha Anjaneya Swamy. Sources said the government has decided to reconstruct at least the ancient and important temples to prove it safeguards the interests of Hindus.
Incidentally, some of the temples to be reconstructed are in the Assembly segment of Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao.According to sources, philanthropists and commercial organisations are offering financial support to rebuild the temples, and the remaining funds, if required, will be drawn from the Common Good Fund.
Confirming this, the Endowments Minister on Monday told reporters in Visakhapatnam that the government plans to reconstruct the temples demolished by the previous TDP government. “The previous government not just demolished temples citing pushkarams, but even demolished ones that were not coming in the way of arrangements for pushkarams,” he said.