Visakhapatnam: Minister alleges political conspiracy behind temple attacks

Visakhapatnam: Endowments minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao, minister Sri Ranganatha Raju, Brahmin Corporation chairman Malladi Vishnu and revenue commissioner Arjuna Rao met Visakha Sri Sharda Peetham seer Sri Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi on Monday.

The ministers presented the model of the new Antarvedi chariot to Sri Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi.

The pontiff said that the chariot should be grander than the previous one. Burning of chariots were a sign of misfortune, so remedial rituals like homam should be performed, the seer suggested.

Later, the endowments minister alleged that there was a political conspiracy against the government and attacks on temples were part of it.

The government is taking all measures to prevent any recurrence of attacks on the temples as the government is working to protect the temple lands also. He said that the TDP government had demolished several temples in the past in the name of Krishna Pushkaralu. The government is also thinking about how to rebuild them.

Former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is politicising everything, he said. He assured that Simhachalam temple lands issue will be resolved as soon as the court approves it.