A video of Chrisitan missionary groups occupying a Hindu temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Gangavaram and holding a congregation inside temple premises went viral on Friday, igniting a massive controversy.
BJP National Secretary Sunil Deodhar, who is also in charge of the party unit in Andhra Pradesh, put out a video of the Christian group, led by a pastor, singing hymns and prayers inside a Ram Mandir in a village near Gangavaram.
In the video, it was seen that a white-frock clad pastor was sitting inside the Ram Mandir and singing hymns along with his followers. Behind the pastor, the sanctum of the Ram Mandir can be clearly seen, suggesting that the Christians had entered the Hindu temple to carry out their prayers.
Unacceptable Humiliation!
— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) April 1, 2022
Pushing conversion agenda of CM @ysjagan, Limit is crossed by Church With illegally occupying #RamMandir in #Gangavaram by a Pastor & conducting Christian Prayer in it.
All culprits must immediately be arrested.
Hindus! Raise voice as #RamInsultedInAP! pic.twitter.com/Cmx3Mp6trU
The BJP leader accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy of pushing the conversion agenda in the state. He also accused the church of crossing limits by illegal occupying a Ram Mandir and performing Christian rituals inside a Hindu temple.
He demanded the immediate arrest of all the culprits who entered the temple premises.
Sharing the video of the incident, senior BJP leader Vishnu Vardhan Reddy said there is no place for Hindus in Andhra Pradesh. He alleged that a pastor illegally occupied a Ram temple in Gangavaram and conducted Christian prayers inside the temple.
There’s no place for Hindus in Andhra Pradesh.
— Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (@SVishnuReddy) April 1, 2022
A pastor illegally occupied a Ram temple in Gangavaram & conducting Christian Prayer in it. This is happening due to the appeasement politics of @YSRCParty govt.
We demand strict action against the culprits. pic.twitter.com/Ji52uNxYvm
This is happening due to the appeasement politics of the YSR-Congress government, he said, while demanding strict action against the culprits.
Police denies: What they said
The East Godavari police in Andhra Pradesh have refuted the information that a pastor had “illegally occupied” a Ram temple and conducted a Christian prayer meeting there, reported The News Minute. East Godavari Superintendent of Police M Ravindranath Babu clarified that a family dispute between the woman who organised the prayer meeting and her son had been blown up and falsely distorted into a communal issue.
The police had also taken to Twitter to refute the allegations.
District Police Office, Kakinada,
— East Godavari Police, Andhra Pradesh (@EGPOLICEAP) April 1, 2022
Dt.01.04.2022.
A false news has been circulating in the social media that in Ramalayam of K.Gangavaram village of Pamarru police station limits, of East Godavari Dt. that Preachings of Jesus Christ were held.(1/6) @dgpapofficial@APPOLICE100 pic.twitter.com/AxFH65VJpZ
The police has also said that the Hindu and Christian community of the area share cordial relationship.
