Kakinada: The police investigation on the gutting of the chariot in the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha swamy temple in Antarvedi has not come to a conclusion yet.
Additional police forces are on strict vigil in the village and also in the Konaseema region in general. Nobody is being allowed to go to Antarvedi and the police are preventing passersby along the route to Antarvedi.
The endowment department's additional commissioner, Ramachandra Mohan, has been appointed as special officer at the temple to coordinate and oversee issues pertaining to the reconstruction of the chariot. It is learnt that a computer operator and a security guard were suspended at Antarvedi temple on Thursday.
The Jana Sena Party has given a 'Chalo Antarvedi' call. However, the Eluru range DIG, K. V. Mohan Rao, made it clear that nobody would be allowed in Antarvedi as Section 144 and Section 30 are in force. He said that if the party leaders or workers try to come, the police will not allow them. He said a scientific research and investigation is going on in the gutting incident and no law and order problems would be entertained.
Expressing concern over the gutting incident, BJP and Jana Sena party leaders took up resentment fasts for one hour in their respective houses and party offices.
BJP state president, Somu Veerraju, along with leaders R. Sridevi, Bommala Dattu, A. Ramakrishna Rao and others took up resentment fasts at BJP office in Rajahmundry on Thursday. Veerraju alleged that the state government was not responding though the attacks are being done on Hindu temples.
He said that the party would not keep silent if such attacks go on further. BJP leaders Pydah Krishna Mohan, Pydah Bhavan Prasad, Y. Ramkumar and M. Subba Rao, BJP former president, Y. Malakondaiah and others participated in the stir in their respective houses.
The BJP Kakinada parliamentary district president, Ch. Ramkumar, said that BJP workers took up the stir in all mandals. Jana Sena leaders K. Durgesh, P. Venkateswara Rao and others took up their stir at their houses at Rajahmundry and Kakinada respectively.
Kapu corporation chairperson, Jakkampudi Raja, visited Antarvedi temple and inquired about the incident. He said that the government was taking the issue seriously and the police officials are on duty to nab the culprits. However, he said that the opposition parties were unnecessarily making the issue controversial.
Former MLA and Telugu Desam leader, Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao (Kondababu), expressed concern over the Antarvedi incident and demanded that the government conduct an impartial probe without attributing it to beehive hunters and mentally-ill persons. He said that during the YSRC government, several attacks are taking place on Hindu temples and prayer houses.
