The news of the Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordering the reconstruction of a vandalised Hindu temple in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is being hailed by many as an admirable step taken by the country’s highest court to protect the religious freedom of minorities. Parallelly, India is being derided for being an intolerant and exclusivist country, where minority rights, religious ones particularly, are being thrown down the drain. However, little is it known that in an Indian state called Andhra Pradesh ruled by a Christian, allegedly close to 140 Hindu temples have been vandalised and attacked in less than two years.
In Andhra Pradesh, whose Chief Minister is YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy – a devout Christian, brazen attacks on Hindu temples complemented with the desecration of idols has become a regular affair. While in Pakistan, at least some action has been taken against the perpetrators of such violence recently, in Andhra Pradesh, miscreants and vested interest groups have only been emboldened by the government’s inaction to tame them, resulting in regular temple vandalisms being witnessed.
On Sunday, the idol of Goddess Sita was found vandalised near Pandit Nehru bus stop in the Sitaram Temple in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. This came in the backdrop of the idols of Lord Subrahmanya and Shri Ram being desecrated and damaged in the state recently. The Shri Ram idol vandalised at Ramatheertham temple by Hindu-haters was 400-years-old. Many other similar incidents have occurred in the last few weeks. A Nandi idol was destroyed, an old heritage chariot parked at ancient Antarvedi Lakshmi Narasimha Temple was found burnt, and Subrahmanya Swamy’s idol in Lord Vigneshwara temple of Rajahmundry district destroyed– all within the last few weeks.
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Despite y’day drama by @YSRCParty & @JaiTDP Netas
attacks on temples continue.After #LordRamaidol, 40yr old Maa Sita Devi idol vandalised in Vijayawada today.
Size/type/age of idol is immaterial.
But why is it happening only with Hindus?#SaveTemplesInAndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/nAZUvPjQaY
— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) January 3, 2021
Unlike what happened recently in Pakistan, any action against such Hindu-hating vandals in Andhra Pradesh is invisible. Infested with Christian missionaries who enjoy the direct patronage of the Chief Minister, it would not take a genius guess to figure out who is behind such attacks, and why action against such elements is not immediately taken. The opposition in Andhra Pradesh, meanwhile, has upped the ante against the YSRCP government. Former Chief Minister and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu, while calling Jagan Mohan Reddy a ‘Christian Chief Minister’, asked, “Why did the ruling YSRCP fail to take immediate action in the Ramatheertham desecration incident?”
Naidu added, “Jagan Reddy is a Christian Chief Minister. I am not finding fault in that. He has his own beliefs. I believe in Venkateswara Swamy. But such attacks should not be allowed on other religions. Jagan has no right to continue as the Chief Minister even for a minute as he has failed to prevent these attacks.”
On Tuesday, Chandrababu Naidu further informed that another incident of desecration took place at Singarayakonda in Prakasam district. The Swamivari idol at Varaha Narasimha Swamy Temple was also disfigured, the former CM informed. Needless to say, vandalism of Hindu temples seems to have become a daily affair in Andhra Pradesh.
The BJP, meanwhile, had its National Secretary for Andhra Pradesh, Sunil Deodhar say, “Enough is enough. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy shouldn’t your silence and inaction be considered as hidden support to the miscreants? Are you taking Hindu sentiments for a ride? Ironically, all Hindu leaders of YCP too are silent. Aren’t they aware that people won’t spare them?”
It’s duty of the ruler to prevent such incidents & maintain law & order.@ysjagan ji, don’t you know Ravana lost everything after Maa Sita Devi’s abduction?
I urge CM AP to take corrective measures demanded by @somuveerraju else be ready to face the consequences.#SpeakUpJagan pic.twitter.com/P6pQl8l86q
— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) January 3, 2021
Even as Pakistan’s Supreme Court pulls up authorities and police officials for not preventing the razing and burning of a Hindu temple, in India’s Andhra Pradesh, the YSRCP government couldn’t care less. In fact, the Andhra Chief Minister has already indicated that whatever action will be taken against such miscreants in the state will be by God, effectively saying that his administration would do nothing to punish the culprits. This is despite Hindus being in majority in Andhra Pradesh, as opposed to being a minuscule minority in Pakistan.
