Fresh bid by BJP leaders to visit Ramateertham today

Visakhapatnam: State BJP leaders will make a fresh attempt to visit Ramateertham and offer prayers at the Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple atop Bodikonda, Nellimerla, in Vizianagaram district.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, BJP state president  Somu Veerraju said the party would seek permission from the state government for the visit for prayers to Lord Rama. “When they allowed Rajya Sabha member V Vijay Sai Reddy and Opposition leader Nara Chandrababu Naidu, what would be the harm if we are allowed,’’ Veerraju asked.

Stressing that the BJP is not against other religions, he said the party would honour the sentiments of Hindus who comprised 80 per cent of the population in the state, and demand protection of Hinduism and Hindu temples.

He said the state BJP unit would, after January 20, launch a Jana Jagrana Yatra from Ramateertham to Tirumala via Pithapuram, Antarvedi, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Srisailem, where temples were attacked.  

“It was unfortunate that not a single person was taken into custody in any of the attacks made so far on the temples.”

Asked whether the BJP would demand a CBI inquiry, Veeerraju said it was the responsibility of the state government to identify the culprits.

The BJP leader also strongly reacted to the presence of police personnel at the Visakhapatnam BJP office and at the GVMC dharna programme. The YSRCP leaders, on one hand, have been saying the BJP has no presence in Andhra Pradesh and would lose deposits in all polls. On the other hand, they are wary of the BJP and obstructing the party’s programmes,” he said.