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

Police department presents statistics that show temple attack incidents were in higher numbers when TDP's Chandrababu Naidu was at the helm

Andhra Pradesh police chief Gautam Sawang has stated the spate of incidents reported at several temples across the state as standalone occurrences which are “being given a communal twist to suit the vested interests of certain sections.”

At a time when the opposition TDP, BJP and JanaSena parties are accusing the Jaganmohan Reddy regime as becoming conducive for “attacks” on Hindu temples and structures, the Director-General of Police said that “aggressive attempts to link all such happenings to spin a misleading narrative is very wrong.”

The TDP, BJP were also united in their demand that Reddy, a follower of Christianity, should submit a faith declaration in Lord Venkateshwara before entering the Tirumala temple, during the Brahmotsavams.

On Monday, the state police claimed that the accused/suspects had been arrested in 12 out of 19 cases of vandalism etc. offenses at various temples reported since the September 6 Antarvedi temple chariot burning incident.

Speaking exclusively to DH on Tuesday, Sawang said that instances before the Antarvedi episode too like the Prasanna Venkateshwara Swamy temple chariot gutting in Nellore in February were “solved promptly and the delinquents arrested.”

“We will crack the rest cases in due course,” the senior IPS said.

However, the Antarvedi case itself was handed over to the CBI by the Reddy government as questions were raised over the trustworthiness of the state police probe in the communally volatile matter. The initial blame was put on a mentally unsound person by the local police.

Occurring in the backdrop of the Nellore temple chariot fire and Hindu religious idols’ defacement in Pithapuram in January, the gutting of 40 feet wooden chariot of the famous Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Antarvedi in East Godavari district under mysterious circumstances had sparked statewide protests led by the JanaSena, BJP and Hindu organizations.

“Temple attack incidents higher during TDP years in the rule”

Even as former CM Chandrababu Naidu sharpened his attack on Jaganmohan Reddy government and law enforcement over the temple incidents, the AP police presented statistics (till September) showing that such attacks were higher during the last five years particularly in 2016 and 2017. TDP’s Naidu was the Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019.

Year	Cases
2015	290
2016	322
2017	318
2018	267
2019	305
2020	228

“2020 has reported the least number of incidents at temples by far, compared to the yearly figures since the division of the state (in 2014),” Sawang said.

The DGP asserts that the recent untoward events at temples are unrelated and show dissimilar motives in each case.

“In the Srikakulam incident - whereas it was alleged that the idol was desecrated, our investigation revealed that the arm fell off last year due to exposure to heavy rains. In the Kurnool incident, the accused revealed that he desecrated the idol and stole the private part because he believed it would somehow result in his wife conceiving a child. And then some vandalism was by treasure hunting gangs.”