Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders on Tuesday targeted chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government alleging encroachment of a famous Hindu religious site at Edlapadu in Guntur district. The administration has, however, rejected the charge, pointing that the Christian religious site was not at the same place as a temple but more than a kilometre away.
A post is viral on social media with three images, one of Lord Narasimha’s carving and the other two showing a huge cross. These images are being shared together to claim that a huge illegal cross has been put by Christian mafias on the hill where footprints of Sita Mata were present. The images are shared with the caption, “See huge illegal Cross in Edlapadu, AP where once footprints of SitaMaa existed. Carving of Lord Narasimhama exists at back. In Guntur Dist, Christian mafias have created havoc. BJP4Andhra & friendsofrss protested but administration tacitly supported.”
Janata Party leaders alleging a Christian Cross was being built on a hillock close to a Hindu religious place at Edlapadu in Narasaraopet block in Guntur district. BJP state general secretary S Vishnuvardhan Reddy was among the first to post a message with some photographs on his Twitter handle, claiming that the “Christian conversion mafia” was encroaching upon the place where goddess Sita’s footprints and carving of Lord Narasimha existed. “No place for Hindus in AP under @ysjagan govt. Attacks on Hindu temples continue,” he tweeted.
Soon, Reddy’s tweet was retweeted by BJP state president Somu Veerraju, who claimed illegal construction was happening at the Hindu religious place.
“All this is happening with the support of the administration and @ysjagan government. @BJP4Andhra and @RSSorg protested against illegal construction in the past but the administration is in no mood to stand for Hindus,” he tweeted.
Guntur Rural District Police, on March 2, 2021, through a tweet and a video, refuted the claim made by Sunl Dheodhar. The police tweeted a video in which the SHO of Edlapadu shows the idol of Lord Narasimha and its surrounding and says that there is no encroachment near it. He later says that the cross is constructed almost half a kilometre away on the other hill and requests people not to spread fake news and hatred. The police tweet this video by SHO with the caption, “THEY ARE COMPLETELY 2 DIFFERENT HILLOCKS and there is absolutely NO encroachment of the hill where Narasimha Swami idol is there ..(check videos by our SHO). Request to use Twitter to spread love, unity and peace.”
The tweets went viral among BJP and other Sangh groups, evoking loud protests at a time when YSR Congress party is busy campaigning for elections to municipalities and municipal corporations in the state.
A YSR Congress party leader from Guntur, who refused to be quoted, said the controversy over Edlapadu hills was totally unwarranted and the BJP, which has little stake in the municipal elections, was only trying to gain some political mileage.
Hence, these matters are totally different and no religion trespassed the other’s.
