‘Remove DGP Gautam Sawang’

Director General of Police Gautam Sawang’s statements that SIT probe revealed involvement of BJP and TDP leaders in the temple attacks in Andhra Pradesh raised the hackles of the BJP cadre. BJP state unit president Somu Veerraju demanded that the DGP should be removed from his post for his baseless allegations.

Speaking to the media in Vizag on Sunday, Veerraju denounced the DGP for filing cases against the BJP leaders even while not initiating action on those guilty of vandalising the temples and desecrating the idols. “What is the YSRC aiming at by these actions,” he asked. He fumed at the state government for adopting anti-Hindu policy and hurting the sentiments of the Hindus.

The police in the state had not taken any action when the chariot belonging to the temple in Antarvedi was gutted and it remained non-chalant towards the desecration of Lord Rama’s idol at Ramatheertham, Veerraju reminded and wondered what could be the logic behind filing cases on the BJP men now for those crimes.

Somu Veerraju demanded that Sawang should be ripped off his position. At the same time, the BJP leader also demanded that the state government should estimate the assets of churches just as it had done with organisations affiliated to Hinduism in Andhra Pradesh. He wanted the government to release a White Paper on the properties belonging to churches. The BJP state chief demanded that forced religious conversions should also be checked in Andhra Pradesh.

“The state government seems to be working towards destabilising Hinduism. Pastors are reportedly helping the authorities in achieving this goal. Is the government paying salaries to the pastors just for promoting religious conversions,” he fumed.

Veerraju also wondered why should the state government build churches when the churches itself have properties worth thousands of crores . He made it clear that they would submit a report to the central government on the assets of churches in Andhra Pradesh.It may be recalled that the DGP had stated that gutting of the chariot at Antarvedi occurred due to an insane person and that some other incidents of temple attacks happened either as a result of land disputes or for hidden treasures beneath the temples.

Days after making these statements, the DGP has made statements targeting the Opposition parties. In the wake of these contradictory statements, people in Andhra Pradesh are in a confusion over the temple attacks.