Every Hindu would have been surely moved by pictures of a profusely wailing priest of the 11th century Ramatheertham Sita Lakshmana Kodandarama temple in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh following its desecration on December 28. The severed head of the murti (idol) was found in the temple tank prompting the priest to sob that not even Shri Ram was safe in the country. Little did the priest know that his comment would trigger a temple wreckage run. There has been resentment among Hindus residing across the country and the ruling Government of the state is under the scanner about its alleged mismanagement in ensuring the protection of holy shrines across the state. To no surprise, leading media houses have turned their eye from this issue in place of the temple if the wall of a mosque or church been as much as scratched with a bargepole, the vicious Lutyens media and their Left-Liberal cousins in the West would have raised a stink. False and malicious reports about attacks on churches in Delhi had indeed made the rounds in February 2015. Nuns and priests carrying crucifixes and placards scrawled with the message “Rights for all religions” came out on the roads. They demanded that Modi’s government speak out against the attacks but they are found to be isolated since the attacks on Hindu shrines have been made but in the times of the digital era, irrespective of ignorance by media houses, social media users kept alive the protests against continuous attacks on temples using #SAVEANDHRATEMPLES.

When all the political parties are busy playing the blame-game on vandalism of temple, A Delhi based, Advocate Yukti Rathi has penned an open letter to the Honorable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh regarding the annihilation of temples and has questioned the government intent in the regard, Advocate Rathi also requested the Chief Minister to take stringent and swift action on Twitter and her post has garnered thousands of likes and her move was welcomed by the Twitteratis.

Later today, reacting to the criticisms of the opposition, CM Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered a CID inquiry to probe the desecration of Lord Ram idol in Ramateertham of Nellimarla Mandal in Vizianagaram district. He termed the desecration of temples in the state as ‘political guerrilla warfare”These people are not even sparing God and dragging him into politics. They have no fear of God nor do they revere him, except that they seek to derive political benefit in the name of God,” the Chief Minister said in a veiled attack on the opposition without naming anyone.

Apart from the aforementioned recent incidents, there have been a series of incidents of temple vandalism in Andhra Pradesh in the past. In September as well, a ‘Nandi’ idol was reportedly vandalised in a temple in Chittoor district. The Police had then alleged that the vandals had broken open the idol based on rumours that gold had been poured into the Nandi idol. On finding nothing, the men left the temple. Moreover, a 62-year-old heritage chariot parked at ancient Antarvedi Lakshmi Narasimha Temple premises was found burnt in suspicious circumstances with the opposition alleging a conspiracy behind the chariot fire.

 

 

 

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