The alleged proselytisation activities by evangelist M. Sudhir sparked protests by various organisations and political outfits across the State on Thursaday.
BJP activists staged a dharna at the RDO’s office in Tirupati demanding that the government take stringent action against the self-styled missionary.
BJP district general secretary Samanchi Srinivas wondered as to why the TTD management had neither attempted to get the video removed, nor demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. TDP city president Dampuru Bhaskar Yadav blamed the TTD, especially its vigilance wing, for failure to identify and stop the shooting of the video. He said a delegation would meet Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu shortly, seeking stringent legislation to prohibit such activities.
In Kadapa, VHP activists staged a demonstration before the Kadapa Collectorate demanding stern punishment for the pastor. VHP district president K.V. Lakshminarayana Reddy demanded that the government and the TTD intensify steps to avert propaganda of other religions at Tirumala.
In Ongole, Tirumala Tirupati Samrakshana Samiti (TTSS) staged a demonstration at Prakasam Bhavan and asked the government to free Tirumala from proselytisation activities. Samiti Prakasam district secretary T. Hariprasada Rao said there was a global conspiracy behind the “highly objectionable” video that “hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus”. In Nellore, BJP State general secretary S. Suresh Reddy led a procession along with TTSS Nellore district president C.V. Subramaniam from Gandhi Bomma centre to the Collectorate demanding steps “to prevent propaganda by other religions at Tirumala”.
