For quite a few months, BJP has been desperately trying to emerge as a potential alternative to the YSRCP taking advantage of the weakening opposition from TDP.
But the BJP does not have many issues to target the ruling YSRC. So, now and then, it tries to whip up the Hindu religious sentiment to gain some political mileage.
And the soft target for the BJP is Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the country’s richest temple of Lord Venkateshwara on Tirumala.
On Thursday, the BJP found yet another such issue to whip up Hindu sentiment. It is about Sri Venkateshwara Bhakti Channel (SVBC), being run by the TTD, not telecasting the Bhumi Pujan programme of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Wednesday.
BJP state vice-president and Nehru Yuva Kendra national vice-chariman S Vishnu Vardhan Reddy was furious over the TTD not telecasting the foundation laying ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“As many as 250 channels across the world had telecast the programme at Ayodhya for more than an hour. Other channels, too, gave a huge coverage to the programme, which had drawn the attention of millions of Hindus who have been waiting for this historic occasion. But SVBC, which claims to be propagating Hindu dharma, did not telecast the same,” Reddy regretted.
The BJP vice-president pointed out that the SVBC had telecast the visits of VVIPS and politicians in the temple. It had aired the programme on even chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to Visakha Sarada Peetham.
“But it chose to ignore the live telecast of the historic occasion in Ayodhya,” he alleged.
He demanded that SVBC chief executive officer Venkata Nagesh be sacked immediately and action be taken against the other staff members who had hurt the feelings of crores of Sri Ram devotees.
He asked SVBC managing director Dharma Reddy to conduct an inquiry into the incident and tender apology to the Hindus.