Govt. should give up its ‘anti-Hindu stand, says Somu Veerraju

BJP State chief seeks nod for ‘community celebrations’ of Vinayaka Chavithi

BJP leaders and activists being stopped by police as they try to barge into the Collectorate, as part of their protest against curbs on public celebrations of Vinayaka Chaturthi, in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

BJP State president Somu Veerraju has condemned the ‘anti-Hindu’ stand of the government, alleging that it imposed curbs on ‘community celebrations’ of Vinayaka Chavithi festival while allowing congregations at mosques and churches as usual, by citing guidelines issued by the Central government.

Addressing media persons at Nandikotkur in Kurnool district on Monday, Mr. Veerraju said there were no restrictions on prayers at churches and Moharrum and Ramzan but the government wanted to crack down on Vinayaka Chavithi which had been a part and parcel of the Hindu culture and traditions.

He said when devotees were going to temples, schools were reopened, buses were plying and commercial and business establishments resumed, on what grounds was the government forcing the Hindus to celebrate Vinayaka Chavithi at home, he questioned.

Mr. Veerraju said churches were being built with government funds and salaries were being paid to pastors. Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivasa Rao who did nothing to bring those who vandalised temples to justice, had no right to criticise the BJP, he said.

He demanded that the government should change its “attitude towards the majority religion and stop targeting it with ulterior motives”.

Rayalaseema committee

Mr. Veerraju announced the appointment of Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy as the chairman of the party’s Rayalaseema Development Committee (RDC).

“Our intention behind constituting the RDC is to own up the parched region for the sake of achieving its development with focus on irrigation projects and industrial growth,” he said.

Protests across State

Meanwhile, BJP cadres across the State staged protests demanding that the government should ease the restrictions on the celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi .

A party delegation comprising Pathuri Nagabhushanam, P. Ramakrishna, B. Sivanarayana and V. Satya Murthy submitted a memorandum to the Director General of Police Gautam Sawang seeking his intervention in withdrawing ban orders to erect Ganesh pandals and allow it subject to compliance with COVID protocols and guidelines issued by the Central government.