VIJAYAWADA: A tense situation is prevailing in Ramatheertalu village of Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh with leaders of the ruling YSRC, Opposition TDP and BJP visiting the ancient temple where the idol of Lord Sri Rama was vandalised recently. Police pickets have been set up on the roads leading to the village and a huge posse of policemen was posted in the village to avert any showdown.

An idol of Lord Sri Rama in the ancient hillock shrine was vandalised in the last week of December and since then the Opposition parties have been accusing the ruling YSRC government of failing to prevent attacks on Hindu temples for the past 19 months.

Opposition leader and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced a visit to the temple on Saturday and ahead of his visit, YSRC MP and senior leader V Vijayasai Reddy made an unscheduled visit to the temple on Saturday morning.

Even before Naidu landed in Visakhapatnam from Vijayawada, Vijayasai Reddy went to Ramatheertalu leading to tension in the village. Local TDP and BJP leaders have already erected tents a couple of days ago and staged protests against the attack on the temple. Police placed local TDP leaders under house arrest and set up pickets on the roads leading to the village.

Meanwhile, Naidu’s convoy was stopped on the outskirts of the village by parking lorries on the highway. Police did not allow the vehicles of other leaders to be follow the convoy of Naidu leading to heated arguments between the TDP leaders and police.

Naidu came out of his vehicle and staged a protest on the road after which his convoy was allowed to proceed further but the vehicles of party leaders were stopped. Former Home Minister and party MLA N Chinna Rajappa took an auto and left to Ramatheertalu with the police stopping his vehicle.

On the other hand, tension escalated in Ramatheertalu with TDP and BJP activists trying to attack the vehicle of YSRC MP Vijayasai Reddy who after visiting the temple held talks with endowments department officials to take stock of the situation.

TDP leaders also alleged that the police have taken their local leaders into custody in the name of interrogation and tortured them.

Refuting the allegations, Vizianagaram SP B Rajakumari said around 30 suspects were questioned as part of the investigation to nab those responsible for the attack on the temple. The SP asked leaders of political parties not to make any remarks which might further vitiate the atmosphere in the village.

Attack on temple

The idol of Lord Sri Rama atop Bodikonda hill was vandalised on December 29 and the severed portion of the idol was found in the temple pond the next day.

Ramatheerthalu, a 400-year-old temple, is considered the second Bhadradri and devotees from AP and neighbouring Odisha visit the temple.

The issue took a political turn with Naidu’s scheduled visit on Saturday and a day ahead of it, the YSRC alleged that it was the TDP which was behind the attack.