Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State vice-president and former MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju staged a protest near the Durga Ganapathi temple at Seethammapeta, here on Wednesday demanding that the State government grant permission for holding of Vinayaka Chaviti festival at public pandals.
The protest was organised under the aegis of the Seethammapeta (24 and 25 Divisions) mandal president Balakrishna.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Raju wondered whether COVID-19 protocols apply only to Vinayaka Chaviti festival and not to the oath-taking ceremonies of YSR Congress Party leaders, the death anniversary of Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and other festivals of other religions. He alleged that the YSR Congress Party government has been following an ‘anti-Hindu’ policy and hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community for the past two years. Lord Ganesh would be the first to be offered prayers before any puja by Hindus and not allowing His festival was nothing but hurting their sentiments, Mr. Raju said.
He said that the State government should respect the sentiments of the majority community and reverse its decision.
BJP Parliament district general secretary Jagapathi Raja Bahadur Sivaji, district secretary Dhanesh, district vice president Suresh Babu, district secretary Koppisetty Sankar Rao, Nanaji, Nanireddy, Lakshminarayana, Vijay and M. Sattibabu were among those who took part in the protest.
