UDUPI: Sri Vishwaprasanna Theertha of Sri Pejawar Mutt, Udupi, has written to Home Minister Amit Shah over the issue of desecration of Lord Ram idol at the ancient Sita Lakshmana Kodandarama temple on the Bodikonda hillock at Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh. He said in the letter that the vandalism has enraged the entire Hindu community.
His letter stated that miscreants broke open the historical temple and desecrated the 400-year-old Ram idol in the sanctum sanctorum. “The severed portion of the idol was later retrieved from the nearby temple pond. The horrific incident took place 20 days ago. But the Andhra Pradesh government has done nothing to apprehend the miscreants. The state government’s indifference in dealing with the issue is quite evident,” he added.
‘’This attack is not a stray incident. Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing a series of incidents of temple vandalism for the past one and half years. Temple chariots in Bitragunta were found gutted in February, Antarvedi in September, and desecration of several Hindu idols at Pithapuram in January are some of the prominent malicious acts reported last year. In the past one and half years, as many as 120 attacks have taken place on temples. These attacks appear pre-planned,” he said.