CPI Asks Parties Not To Politicise Temple Vandalism

The issue of the recent desecration of an idol of Lord Kodanda Rama at the Ramateertham temple in Vizianagaram district's Nellimarla in Andhra Pradesh has become a major source of friction among the various political parties of the state, who have been blaming each other for the incident.

Following the outcry over the incident, CPI National Secretary K Narayana today lashed out at the major political parties in the state, the TDP, the YSR Congress Party and the BJP, for "politicising" the issue unnecessarily.

The leader said that there was no place for communal politics in the state, and urged the representatives of the parties to refrain from using the issue as a way to secure electoral gains.

"Let us not follow in the footsteps of the BJP of raking up communal tensions for political mileage. Right now, the saffron party has stirred up this issue in our state to divert the attention of the people from the ongoing farmers' protests. However, both the YSRCP and the TDP should remember that they will not gain any votes by indulging in such base politics," he said.

The incident has sparked an unpleasant exchange of accusations among the major political parties in the state. While the TDP has been blaming the Jagan regime for having contributed to the rise in the number of such occurrences, the ruling party's leaders claim that the incident was staged by the TDP in an attempt to discredit the state government.

The tension reached a fever pitch yesterday when a group of TDP activists attacked MP and YSR Congress Party national General Secretary V Vijaya Sai Reddy's convoy when he had gone to visit the temple to enquire into the incident.