Visakhapatnam (South) MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, who quit the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in September last year and declared his support for the ruling YSR Congress Party, on Wednesday said the TDP, BJP and JSP were indulging in divisive politics in the State.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Vasupalli said that TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu was levelling unsubstantiated allegations against the State government.
“How can Mr. Naidu claim that the idol of Lord Rama at Ramateertham temple was vandalised by miscreants belonging to a different faith without any evidence? He is trying to create a divide between peace-loving citizens of the State,” Mr. Vasupalli alleged.
“There is also no evidence that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is a staunch believer in secularism, is supporting conversion. It appears that Mr. Naidu is acting at the behest of the BJP,” Mr. Vasupalli alleged.
“The TDP chief did not bother to visit Visakhapatnam either at the peak of COVID-19 or immediately after the styrene monomer vapour leak at LG Polymers, but has now embarked on a campaign on the Ramateertham issue. This is a move motivated by political vendetta,” Mr. Vasupalli said.
He also criticised Mr. Naidu for giving a religious colour to the statement made by the Director-General of Police (DGP) of the State. “He has been in active politics for the last 40 years, and he should know that the police department is a secular force,” he said.