GVL Narasimha Rao seeks Centre's help on temple attacks in Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi: BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao on Wednesday raised in the Rajya Sabha the issue of alleged attacks on several temples in Andhra Pradesh and sought suitable action by the home ministry in the matter. He claimed that 140 such "attacks on temples and symbols of Hinduism" have been recorded in the past many months but the Andhra Pradesh government was not taking the issue seriously. "The incidents of attacks on temples in different parts of the state have increased in the last one-and-a-half years. The Andhra government should identify the culprits and take stringent action against them, but I also demand action from the home ministry," the BJP leader said.

Narasimha Rao, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, said that a 70-year-old chariot at Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Antarvedi in East Godavari district was burnt which hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community. He also raised the incident of desecration of idols at Ramatheertham temple in Vizianagaram district. Tension had prevailed after the chariot was found burnt at the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in September 2020. The BJP had alleged that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government was working with an anti-Hindu mindset.