TDP president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has accused the Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy government of intolerance and demanded that the Chief Minister step down citing failure to prevent attacks on temples. Naidu slammed the state government for delay in action over desecration of Lord Ram’s idol at Ramateertham temple in Vizianagaram.
“Jagan Reddy is a Christian chief minister. I am not finding fault in that. He has his own beliefs. I believe in Venkateswara Swamy. But such attacks should not be allowed on other religions. Jagan has no right to continue as the chief minister even for a minute as he has failed to prevent these attacks,” he said. Alleging over 140 incidents of vandalism, he further questioned the state’s inaction and said, “Even now, another incident took place at Singarayakonda in Prakasam district. The Swamivari idol at Varaha Narasimha Swamy Temple was also disfigured. The government and the police were more interested in filing cases against the opposition leaders rather than nabbing the actual culprits. Not a single accused person was arrested when over 140 incidents of desecration and vandalism took place.”
Naidu accused that Christmas celebrations were held at the police station.
Naidu accused the chief minister of resorting to religion-based vote-bank politics and alleged that Rs 5,000 honorarium was being paid to the pastors. “This is going on even though they belong to the Scheduled Castes and are enjoying the benefits of reservation. The government cannot give honorarium to them.”
Naidu accused that churches are being used for YSRCP’s vote-bank politics. A close vigil should be placed on the new churches coming up in villages and who were behind them. Naidu said that the TDP was not against anybody’s belief but it was determined to firmly fight back the injustices and atrocities on any religion.