Bharatiya Janata Party State unit president Somu Veerraju’s arrest at Ramateertham temple in Vizianagaram district on Tuesday led to tension in several parts of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.
Party activists staged protests at Ranasthalam, Vizianagaram, Gurla, Nellimarla and other places. Many police stations, including Vizianagaram and Gurla, were packed with the arrest of many prominent leaders and activists of the party.
BJP State vice-president Pydi Venugopalam, BJP State executive committee members Nadukuditi Eswara Rao, Teegala Harinath, the party senior leaders Attada Ravi Babji, Duppala Ravindrababu, Birlangi Umamaheswara Rao and others were taken into custody for violating Section 30, which was imposed to prevent agitations with regard to the Ramateertham incident.
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The party leaders raised slogans such as “Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan down down, police down down” and entered into a heated argument with the police personnel over their arrest while allowing TDP and YSRCP leaders to visit Ramateertham hill, where Lord Rama’s idol was desecrated eight days ago.
BJYM State president Kethineni Surendra Mohan and others condemned the police department’s high-handedness at Gurla and Ranasthalam police stations.
High drama continued in the morning on Tuesday when Mr. Veerraju was scheduled to visit the Ramateertham. With the imposing of Section 30, the police kept almost all leaders under house arrest to foil their bid to proceed on “Ramateertha Yatra”. In spite of curbs and deployment of police forces, Mr. Veerraju reached Ramateertham village, where he was arrested and sent to a private guest house in K.L. Puram of Vizianagaram. In the evening, he was released and made to return to Visakhapatnam amid tight security.
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Speaking to media at both places, he alleged that the district administration was responsible for the tension since it had allowed visit of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Rajya Sabha MP Vijaya Sai Reddy at the same time a couple of days ago. “We planned a peaceful yatra, but the police created many hurdles and made BJP leaders to stay in police stations from the early hours of Tuesday. It is absolutely unethical since the government allowed TDP and YSRCP leaders to take up yatras. How can it stop us from visiting the temple?” he questioned.
“There is no protection for temples under the YSRCP government. More than 20 idols in different temples have been vandalised in the last one and half years. I think there is a hidden agenda to hurt the sentiments of Hindu religion followers. We will expose it and make people to unite to protect Hinduism in the State,” he added.