Condemning the detention and preventive arrests of the leaders of the BJP and the JSP across the State in view of their ‘chalo Ramateertham’ programme on Tuesday, BJP Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh said his party’s Central leadership had taken the attacks on Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh seriously.
“The YSRCP is bent on trampling the democratic rights in the State, and is treating the BJP leaders and all those who raise their voice against desecration of idols in temples as terrorists and anti-social elements,” Mr. Ramesh told the media here.
Why bias?
Why were the BJP leaders and cadres stopped and prevented from going to Ramateertham when YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy was allowed, he questioned.
“Our senior leaders have asked us to visit Ramateertham to know about the ground reality and inform the same to the people. But the government has not allowed us,” Mr. Rameh said.
“Will the government and the police dare prevent Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national J.P. Nadda from visiting Ramateertham?” he questioned.
Claiming that the DGP did not respond when he called him up, Mr. Ramesh alleged that government’s negligence was evident. “Not one or two, about 126 instances of attacks on Hindu temples have been witnessed in the State so far,: he said.
‘CID probe an eyewash’
Senior BJP leader Kamineni Srinivasa Rao termed the government decision to have a CID probe into the Ramateertham incident as an eyewash.
“We know how the CID functions in Andhra Pradesh. It acts immediately when messages against the government are posted in social media platforms. But it has not taken any action when a few persons commented against the High Court judges,” he said.
Over 40 BJP leaders, including former MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, were detained at their houses since the early hours of the day.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Vishnu Kumar said, “We wanted to visit the temple and there was no scheduled public meeting. It was a peaceful car rally, and the State government tried to scuttle it by using police force.”
BJP district president Raveendranath Reddy said that detention of the senior leaders was not necessary as ours was a disciplined party and there would not be law and order problem.
BJP State president Somu Veerraju, MLC P.V.N. Madhav and a few others had left for Ramateertham late on Monday night, he added.
