Less than 9% of temples in Andhra Pradesh have CCTV surveillance

An audit by the Andhra Pradesh police has revealed that only about 9% of the temples in the state have CCTV surveillance.

Data accessed by DH shows 2,676 temple premises out of 30,415 identified by the state police as covered by CCTV cameras.

The assessment was made in September in the wake of the Antarvedi temple chariot fire and the “disappearance” of three silver lion figurines from the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga temple.

The lack of CCTV monitoring, especially at Antarvedi, has made the detection of the offenders difficult. The probe was subsequently handed over to the CBI.

While a series of vandal incidents at various temples in the past nine months have uneased the common public, the Antarvedi and Vijayawada episodes —both occurring in September— have resulted in widespread protests led by the TDP, BJP, JanaSena and several Hindu organisations.

Read: Andhra Pradesh temple vandalism: DGP says attempts are on to spin a communal narrative

The opposition parties have been accusing the Jaganmohan Reddy government of disregarding the preservation of Hindu temples and traditions and even called for the sacking of the Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao.

While appealing to the citizens “to not get carried away by such incidents and reports", AP’s Director General of Police Gautam Sawang detailed the preventative measures initiated by the police department to ensure the safety of religious places and structures.

“Out of 50,958 places of worship, we have mapped, 30,415 are temples. We found that less than 10 per cent of these structures were equipped with CCTV cameras,” Sawang told DH.

Notices were issued to the temples' management to ensure suitable security with CCTV installations, enhanced lighting on the premises. A comprehensive social audit of the identified temple structures was completed last month.

Also read: Andhra Pradesh: Interstate gang targeting temple treasures nabbed by Chittoor police

As part of a drive initiated by the state police department, with the support of all stakeholders and civil society, CCTVs are being mounted at temples, mosques, and churches.

Over 1,200 such new surveillance cameras were fitted last month, about 900 of them in temples.

“We have also 'bound over' 8,204 persons with a history, modus operandi of committing offences at temples, to rein in such crimes,” Sawang said.

The police chief said till September this year, 228 miscreant incidents were recorded at various temples.

The number of such offences is revealed as higher during the previous TDP rule — 322 in 2016, 318 in 2017. And in 2019, the year Reddy assumed power, there were 305 such incidents.

Meanwhile, the YSRCP ministers are countering the opposition's onslaught by accusing that the TDP men were involved in temple vandalism to discredit chief minister Reddy.