Santa cap on Annamayya statue sparks tension

Tirupati: Tense situation prevailed for a while in the city on Tuesday after Saint poet Annamayya statue was found with a Santa Claus cap. Police suspect the act might be the handy work of a miscreant or miscreants.

With no exception, all the political parties strongly condemned the sacrilege of statue and demanded the police to nab those involved in the condemnable act.

On learning of the incident, Bajrang Dal activists reached the statue and staged a dharna protesting the sacrilege of Annamayya statue. Other Hindu organisations also joined in the protest resulting the ten-sion for some time in the busy Annamayya circle.

DSP Venkatanarayana, who inspected the statue, assured the protesters that police will investigate to find the person or persons for the act. He wanted the people to remain calm and not to panic as the police had already taken up the case.

Sources said some people who were passing through the busy circle were surprised to see Santa Claus cap on the statue. They informed the leaders of Hindu organisations later who complained to the police.

YSRCP erstwhile Chittoor district president Bhumana Karunakar Reddy strongly condemned the act and said putting Santa Claus cap on Annamayya statue is an act of sacrilege to the poet who worshipped Lord Venkateswara with is 32,000 slokas.

Such act never took place during YSRCP rule but in NDA government the famous poet was insulted hurting the sentiments of the Hindu people, he claimed. Karunakar Reddy said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan who boast as a Hindu devotees should give an explanation to the people on the incident and also tender an apology.

CITU senior leader Kandarapu Murali also condemned the incident and demanded the government to take stern action against those behind it. He said some vested interests were trying to incite communal feelings in Tirupati and the government should take steps to prevent Tirupati becoming a communal hotbed.