Bharatiya Janata Party, which has virtually no issue to go into people of Andhra Pradesh and make its present felt, is desperate to kick up religious sentiments to gain foothold in the state.
Last week, the BJP-sponsored Hindu organisations made a big issue in Srisailam temple town in protest against auctioning of shops among people, irrespective of their religious affiliation.
They alleged that Srisailam executive officer Sri Ramachandra Murthy had allowed some Muslims to participate in auctions for shops.
After the BJP leaders created a ruckus, the government transferred the Executive Officer.
On Wednesday, the saffron brigade sought to make a big issue out of YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s alleged reluctance in lighting a lamp to mark the inauguration of an NRI convention at Dallas in United States.
BJP leaders, right from their national secretary Sunil Deodhar to Rajya Sabha member CM Ramesh to former minister P Manikyala Rao, alleged that Jagan’s reluctance to light the lamp shows he was against Hinduism. They described it as an insult to Hindus.
The trolling continued despite clarification from the Telugu NRIs who attended the meeting and also YSR Congress party leaders that Jagan had indeed touched the electric lamp to mark the inauguration, since no fire would be allowed in the public places due to security protocol.
It is true that Jagan practices Christianity, but he always respected Hindus and their sentiments. In fact, he regularly visits temples and Hindu religious institutions like mutts.
He takes regular blessings from spiritual gurus like Swamy Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi of Visakha Sri Sarada Peetham and Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar.
But the BJP leaders want some controversial issues that would project Jagan as anti-Hindu.
Last month, too, they tried to make an issue out of appointment of Jagan’s uncle Y V Subba Reddy as the chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthamans trust board, on the ground that he was also a Christian. But, Reddy proved his credential as a true Hindu.
Similarly, the BJP leaders sought to create a controversy over a circular issued by Visakhapatnam police providing protection to churches on a complaint that some Hindu groups might attack them.
The circular was later withdrawn following protests from BJP leaders.