Amaravati, Sep 12 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Endowments' Minister Vellampalli Srinivas Rao on Saturday urged devotees and the general public to not believe in social media canards in the light of Antarvedi temple chariot blaze, accusing opposition leader N. Chandrababu Naidu of promoting them.
"I appeal to all the devotees, swamijis (sages) and the public at large to not believe in Naidu-promoted social media canards. Those are all fabrications," alleged Rao.
He said the Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has handed over the mysterious chariot blaze case to premier Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to bring out the truth behind the incident.
The Minister recalled another chariot fire incident at K. Pentapadu in 2017 when Naidu was in power and questioned him who took responsibility for that incident.
"Will Naidu resign or Andhra Pradesh BJP President Somu Veerraju resign or Janasena Party founder Pawan Kalyan quit politics. Don't they have responsibility for the 2017 incident?" Rao asked.
He alleged that BJP, TDP or Janasena, who contested the 2014 elections together and came to power in the same year, never talk about the 2017 incident.
Rao claimed that the three parties were silent when the incident occurred three years ago but now they were talking in a different way.
Rao challenged the BJP how it would react after the CBI completed its probe and the allegations the party made.
According to Rao, the YSRCP government was bringing many reforms in the government and rectifying the errors made by the previous TDP regime.
He said the government is working on restoring the lands misappropriated during Naidu's time and nobody talks about it.
"Everybody is capitalizing on the unfortunate Antarvedi incident. All of this is a plot to destroy peace and tranquility in the state," he claimed.
Attacking Naidu, Rao said the opposition leader has no respect for Hinduism as evident from the way he attends rituals wearing shoes.
"When he visits Ramoji Rao (Telugu media baron), he removes his shoes but when he visits temples for rituals, Naidu wears shoes. Look at this and he says he has respect for Hindu faith," he claimed, displaying photographs to substantiate.
In a similar fashion he also accused Kamineni Srinivasa Rao.
Rao demanded a reply from BJP, TDP and Janasena about the 2017 K. Pentapadu chariot fire incident.
"Tell Pawan Kalyan, don't you have responsibility. What is the point in lighting lamps in your farmhouse and sporting a black badge," taunted Rao.
However, the Minister warned that if anybody causes any discomfort to devotees at temples following a call by Naidu to his cadre to perform puja and protest against the government at different temples on all days of the week, strict action would be taken against them.
Rao said the government has sanctioned Rs 95 lakh to build a new chariot for the Antarvedi temple.
Last Saturday night, a six-decade-old wooden chariot of the famous Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Antarvedi in east Godavari district was gutted in a fire under mysterious circumstances.
Scenic Antarvedi is located in the lush green Konaseema region of east Godavari district, 57 km south-east of Bhimavaram. The temple is located near the confluence of the mighty Godavari river and the Bay of Bengal on the east coast of India.