Amid criticism over the spate of attacks on temples and idols, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy will lay the foundation stone for reconstruction of temples on Friday. The state government has decided to reconstruct temples demolished during Krishna Pushkaram by previous TDP government as part of road-widening and ghat improvement programme.
Seethammavari Padalu, Dakshina Mukha Anjaneya Swamy temple, Rahu Ketu temple and Venugopala temple were among the dozens of temples demolished by the previous government for taking up construction of Kanaka Durga flyover and making arrangements for Krishna Pushkarams in Vijayawada.
At least nine temples have been identified for reconstruction. On the same day, Jagan will also launch Rs 70 crore development works of Kanaka Durga temple on Indrakeeladri.
Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao, who held a review meeting with officials said that 44 old and new temples were razed during the TDP regime in the name of arrangements for Krishna Pushkarams. The temples which were demolished and which could not be rebuilt at the same place due development works taken up on those lands, will be constructed at alternative locations, he said.
“Officials have been instructed to expedite the process for reconstruction of the demolished temples. The state government is committed to protecting Hindu temples and sentiments of people,” he said.
On the other hand, The Andhra Pradesh Police Officers’ Association has hit out strongly at the leaders of the TDP and BJP who seem to have resorted to making communal comments against the state’s police force to garner political relevance in the state.
In a statement put out by the president, J. Sreenivasa Rao, the association said, “The day we wear the police uniform, we go beyond all castes, religions etc. The constitution of India is our holy book. We severely condemn the communal comments being made.”Getting into specifics, the statements categorically hits out at the TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.
It says, “A leader who has come from another state is making communal comments against the police. A person who claims to be 40 years old in the industry is giving the police a caste, religious colour. Is this what he has learned in those 40 years?” The statement further goes on to drag the attention of the reader to the service rendered by the force during the ongoing fight against Covid-19. It says, “A total of 109 police personnel sacrificed their lives during the pandemic. 14,000 personnel contracted Covid while on duty. People from all religions are a part of this.”