Cancel SC, ST certificates of pastors who received monetary help: BJP

Ongole: BJP State general secretary S Vishnuvardhan Reddy demanded that the government cancel the SC, ST certificates of the pastors who received monetary help of Rs 5,000 as Covid-19 disaster relief fund, intended for the real SCs and STs in the State.

Vishnuvardhan participated as a chief guest at the political training programme organised here on Saturday for the party's activists representing the Ongole Assembly constituency.

He alleged that the distribution of public money in the name of religion is undemocratic and distributing Rs 5,000 from the funds of SCs and STs is illegal. He demanded that the government immediately take action against the social welfare officials concerned and cancel the SC, ST certificates of the pastors who agreed officially that they are converted Christians and received the money.

He said that they are not against offering the money to SCs and STs, but oppose giving the public money to people who are encouraging the religious conversions. He alleged that the YSRCP government is not using the TTD funds for Dharma Pracharam, laying roads and other construction activity, but using the public money for extending help to Christians and Muslims.

He alleged that the YSRCP leaders had no respect for temples and their sanctity. He said that Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao utilised the Kanakadurga temple for holding a political meeting with the candidates contesting for corporator posts.

Vishnuvardhan further alleged that the State government was renaming the Union government schemes and announcing them as gifts of Jagan and spending public money for propaganda at the national level.

He pointed out that the PM SVANidhi scheme, which is to extend Rs 10,000 loan as working capital to street vendors has been renamed as Jagananna Deevena, the YSR Rythu Bharosa is launched with the inclusion of Rs 6,000 help for the farmers from the Union government.

Responding to the Polavaram project issue, Vishnuvardhan Reddy said the Union government will complete the construction of the project at any cost. He said both Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy used the project as ATM, by changing the contractors for their commissions. He said the State government should submit the cost estimates to the Polavaram authority and that takes the issue to the Union government.