Miscreants burn down chariot, police suspect rivalry with donor

Anantapur/Vijayawada

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday condemned the incident in which miscreants set afire a temple chariot in Anantapur district and directed officials to bring culprits to justice.

The incident occurred in Hanakanahal village of Kanekal mandal on border with Karnataka in the early hours of Tuesday.

Unidentified miscreants set the chariot in the Ram temple.

The chariot was completely burnt by the time fire services personnel reached there.

The police said they were investigating the case and were trying to identify the culprits with the help of CCTV footage in the vicinity.

The Chief Minister has strongly condemned the heinous act of setting fire to the temple chariot.

“This constitutes an assault on our culture and values, and such acts of desecration will not be tolerated,” said a post from the official account of Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on ‘X’.

Chandrababu Naidu instructed the district collector, superintendent of police and officials to visit the spot immediately and initiate a thorough investigation to bring the culprits to justice immediately.

“He promised that the perpetrators of this vile act will face the full force of the law, and he shall personally oversee the investigation to ensure swift and decisive action.”

Anantapur district SP P Jagadeesh rushed to the scene and started the investigation.

SP Jagadesh told ‘The Hans India’ that investigation is on but primary intelligence indicates that it is an incident arising out of jealousy and local rivalry against the donor Yerri Swamy who donated the chariot to the temple. A few rivals unable to digest the good name enjoyed by the donor could be behind the incident, he said.

The police are suspecting a group of 3-4 people who have rivalry with Yerri Swamy. However, they are looking for evidence to arrest the suspects. Nothing communal is involved in it, the SP clarified.