Injustice to Hindus, Appeasement to All

Insult after insult on the Hindu faith has been happening in Andhra Pradesh for the last few years. The latest one is the attempt to disrupt the Shobha Yatra in Nellore on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. On April 24, Shobha Yatra was organised by Hindu devotees and organisations in Nellore after taking prior permissions from the police and the administration after informing them about the route and timings. More than 15,000 Hindus participated in the peaceful celebration along the Taluka Road. The devotees were moving in front of a mosque and suddenly a mob in the mosque turned violent. The radicals raised Islamist slogans, threatened Hindus and made obscene gestures at Hindu devotees. A glass bottle was allegedly thrown at the Hanuman idol. They tried to come out of the mosque and disrupt the procession. Police intervened and stopped the angry mob from coming out of the mosque. Some audio tapes have surfaced in which Islam religious heads were asking to boycott Shubhamasthu and Kandukuru shopping malls as the owners were a part of the Shobha Yatra.

Anti-Hindu activities in AP

This is not the first event in Andhra Pradesh. Several incidents of insulting Hindus happened in Andhra Pradesh in the recent past.

On April 16, the Shobha Yatra was organised by Hindu devotees on Hanuman Jayanthi in Alur, Kurnool district. In a similar way when the procession was going in front of a mosque a radical mob raised Islamic slogans and attacked the devotees. Stones were pelted and nearly 10 Hindu devotees were injured. The Shobha Yatra was stopped by the police. Cases were filed against 48 Muslims and 42 Hindus, including BJP and VHP leaders.

On January 26, the police arrested a Hindu Yuva Vahini activist for trying to unfurl the national flag on Jinnah Tower, Guntur citing a threat to communal harmony.

On January 8, communal riots broke out in Atmakur, Kurnool. When local Hindus objected illegal construction of a mosque in a Hindu-dominant area adjacent to a school a radical Islamic mob chased them. Local Hindus along with a few BJP leaders rushed to the police station to lodge a complaint. Within hours thousands of radical Islamists besieged the police station, threatened to kill them, raised Islamic slogans, pelted stones, burnt vehicles of police and a BJP leader till 3 am. A police constable was involved in this violence against Hindus. The paradox is that the State Government filed charges of attempt to murder on the Hindus and BJP leaders who were forced to go to the police station to save their lives. SP of Kurnool later revealed the involvement of terror outfit SDPI in these riots and camps were organised.

On June 20 last year, ruling YSCRP Government MLA Siva Pasad Reddy along with Muslim leaders did Bhoomi Pooja install a Tipu Sultan statue in Proddutur, Kadapa illegally without permission. After uproar from the public and BJP the unconstitutional decision was withdrawn.

On December 29, 2020, a 400-year-old Prabhu Rama idol was destroyed in Ramatheertham. On July 6, 2020, a century-old chariot of Sri Laxmi Narayana Swamy temple was burnt in Antharvedi, East Godavari district. On February 14, 2020, a chariot of 850-year-old Sri Prasanna Venkateshwara Swamy temple at Konda Bitragunta in Nellore was burnt.

Government’s Anti-Hindu Stance

In the wake of a Hanuman idol desecration, a minister said, “Did Lord Hanuman say that he is hurt? It is not made out of stone and can be made again.”

When a wall in a Christian cemetery was slightly damaged, home minister with folded hands requested Christians to excuse him and said that the interests of minorities will be safe-guarded in AP and such incidents shall not repeat. Culprits were not caught in Ramtheertham vandalism, but cases were filed and 20 Hindu devotees demanding a fair probe and BJP leaders were arrested.

More than 500 cases of vandalism on temples were registered and only a handful of cases were solved. In a majority of solved cases, the accused persons were found to be ‘insane’.

This is the only Government in India which

• Pays salaries to pastors and imams with taxpayers’ money
• Builds churches using panchayat raj department
• Gives plots to imams
• Uses endowment funds for Government schemes
• Pays for Haj and Jerusalem pilgrimage tours
• Uses temple properties for Covid care and administrative offices

The Hinduphobia is a reality

Anyone asking the Government to take strict actions against the perpetrators of attacks on Hindu temples or seeking protection will be labelled a religious fascist by the ruling YSCRP Government. The ruling Government does not condemn such attacks and cannot tolerate those condemning anti-Hindu activities. Secularism defines equal treatment of all religions. The AP Government redefined secularism as ill-treatment of Hindus and remaining silent when the Hindu faith is insulted and attacked. The series of events that happened shows that radical Islamic groups were emboldened due to such anti-Hindu attitude and stance of the ruling YSRCP Government. This is against the principles of Constitution which stands for equal treatment of all religions. Such anti-social radical elements will disturb communal harmony and are derogatory to the progress of nation.