A.P. chariot fire: Tension as police arrest protesters to foil ‘chalo Antarvedi’ call

People associated with various Hindu religious groups, members of the BJP and the Janasena party attempted to march to the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple at Antarvedi

The chariot that was gutted at Antarvedi in East Godavari on Sunday.

A few dozens of locals, believed to be members of the Bajrang Dal, were reportedly arrested and Bharatiya Janata Party Amalapuram Parliamentary segment president Manepalli Ayyaji Vema was put under house arrest in Amalapuram in East Godavari district in the early hours of Wednesday.

The police began the arrests as the people associated with various Hindu religious groups, members of the BJP and the Janasena party prepared to march to the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple at Antarvedi to protest against the incident in which the

temple chariot was gutted on September 6. The BJP has given a call for ‘chalo Antarvedi’ on Wednesday.

Speaking to

The Hindu over phone, Mr. Ayyaji Vema said; “We have prepared to join the call given by our State high command for the ‘Chalo Antarvedi’. The police visited my house in the early hours of Wednesday and put me under house arrest. In Konaseema area, over 100 Bajrang Dal members have been arrested by Wednesday morning”.

No entry for outsiders

In an official release issued last on Tuesday night, Deputy Inspector General (Eluru Range) K. V. Mohana Rao said; “There is no entry for any outsiders into Antarvedi village from Wednesday. Some people attempted to disturb the peaceful environment at the Antarvedi temple on Tuesday. The forensic experts are investigating the case by collecting evidences on the site where the chariot was gutted”.

“The Section 30 (The Police Act) is in force at Antarvedi and surrounding areas from Wednesday and our appeal to outsiders is not to visit the Antarvedi area from Wednesday,” he said.

The police have deployed additional forces in and around the temple to prevent any untoward incident.

Three suspended

Meanwhile, the Endowment Department late on Tuesday suspended the In-Charge Executive Officer, computer operator and security guard of the temple on charges of failure to maintain the camera surveillance system and provide protection to the wooden chariot on the premises.

The action came after Endowment Minister Vellampalli Srinivas inspected the temple following complaints of CCTV camera failure.

According to the order issued by Endowment Department Special Commissioner P. Arjuna Rao, N.S. Chankradhar Rao has been suspended and B. Veera Venkateswara Rao has been appointed in his place.

Computer operator D. Syama Sundaram and security guard Revanth Bahudur have also been suspended.