VIJAYAWADA: Terming the attacks on temple as an issue of spirituality, not politics, BJP state chief Somu Veerraju said that the party would intensify the protest against vandalism of temples. Though Somu said that a ‘massive protest’ would be organised in Ramatheertham on Monday, after consultation with the Jana Sena, it was later decided to hold the dharna on Tuesday.
Somu, after meeting BJP national president JP Nadda along with state co-incharge Sunil Deodhar, national general secretary D Purandeswari and Telangana party head Bandi Sanjay in New Delhi on Saturday, slammed both the TDP and the YSRC alleging that both the regional parties have no moral or ethical ground to speak about protection of temples.
“The State BJP unit will take up protest on a massive scale against the government’s inaction against the repeated attacks on Hindu temples,” he said. Calling issues related to Hindutva the core item of the BJP, Somu said, “If YSRC builds churches and masjids for other religions, nobody questions. But, if we talk about Hindu temples, fingers are pointed at us. We will soon remove that notion from people’s mind as Hindutva issues are a core item of the BJP and it is a natural phenomenon to fight for it.”
BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar lashed out at the TDP and YSRC and accused the regional parties of resorting to “appeasement politics”. He said that instead of sending a ruling party representative, the government must answer why there are multiple cases of vandalism of temples. “The visit of YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy to Ramatheertham is a whitewash. An MP has nothing much to do as it is an issue of law and order. No minister has paid a visit yet.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is silent on temple attacks,” he said. He also criticised Chandrababu Naidu, alleging that the TDP chief was shedding crocodile tears. “Several temples were demolished by the previous TDP government and nothing was restored even though a committee was formed. Regional parties only try to appease religions. State-sponsored religious conversions and state-sponsored support to a particular religion will not be tolerated,” Deodhar added.
‘Wait for Tirupati bypoll candidate’
In the meeting with BJP president JP Nadda, Somu Veerraju and co-incharge Sunil Deodhar discussed the strategy for the Tirupati bypoll. To a query on if BJP or Jana Sena would contest the polls, Somu said that the parties had ‘full clarity’ on the issue. “What is the urgency to tell whose candidate it would be?” he asked.