Vijayawada: Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivasa Rao decries temple politicisation

Vijayawada: Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivasa Rao on Sunday expressed anguish over the politicisation of temples to discredit and destabilise the YSRCP government.

He was the chief guest at the conference on 'Sanatana Dharma Parirakshana-practices and challenges' jointly organised by Hindu Acharya Sabha and Save Temples Bharat here attended by sizable number of Swamijis and Pithadhipatis from all over the country.

He expressed concern over the caustic comments of some religious heads against the government when actually it was striving to set things right and introducing various changes in the system.

"When the government reacted immediately after the attacks on the temples and arrested the culprits and the government took initiative to reconstruct the temple chariots, no swamiji complimented the efforts of the government," he pointed out.

He rejected the statements of the opposition leaders that the government was utilising the funds of the temples and stated that the government never touched a single paisa of any temple.

Conference organiser Gazal Srinivas demanded the government to provide temple staff adequate training for three months in conduct of temples and follow the etiquettes of the temples. There should be Sadhu Bhavans at all temples and non-bailable cases should be registered against the encroachers of the temple lands. The local artistes should be appointed the laureates of the temples.

Sankaracharya Souparnika Vijendrapuri of Kerala Sankara Matham and general secretary of Hindu Acharya Sabha said that the country would plunge into darkness if the Hindu Dharma was not protected.

Siva Swami of Sri Saiva Kshetram said that the government remained a mute spectator when people of other religions were encroaching upon the hills and hillocks with the symbols of their religions.

The people of other religions are dominating in Hindu temples and Srisailam is a glaring example for it. Siva Swami condemned the statement of Ahobila Jeer swami when the latter said that Hindus are destroying the idols in Hindu temples.

Sadhu Parishad president Srinivasananda Swami said that the attacks on temples increased due to the failure of the government.

Maruti Mahla Society president Sunita Lakhamraju said that it was the responsibility of the parents to inform the children about the importance of Sanatana Dharma.

Atluri Narayana Rao, Mata Siva Chaitanyananda, Mata Chandinath Aghori, Rajendranath Aghori, Rabindranath Berwal, Valluri Jayaprakash and others also spoke.