Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of nine temples.
The President of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) Mr. Jagan on the 8th of January, performed the foundation laying ceremony for the reconstruction of nine damaged temples.
According to the sources, the nine temples which would be reconstructed under the leadership of the YSRCP Government include a Durga temple (Rs. 77 crores,) a Saneeswara Swamy Temple (Rs. 2 crores) and a Rahu-Kethu Temple (Rs. 70 lakhs.)
The other temples which would be re constructed are: Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple (Rs. 20 lakhs,) Sri Seethamma Vari Padalu (Rs. 9.5 lakhs,) Dakshinamukha Anjaneyaswamy Temple (Rs. 31.5 lakhs,) Sri Dasanjaneya Swamy Temple (Rs.10 lakhs,) Boddu Bomma (Rs.8 lakhs,) Sri Veera Babu Swamy Temple (Rs.10 lakhs,) Gosala Krishna Temple (Rs.20 lakhs.)
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the nine temples were demolished during the reign of the then Andhra Pradesh Government under the Telugu Desam Party (TDP.)
According to sources, the State Endowments Department would reconstruct the temples and the Municipal Administration Department would look after the beautification works.
Ministers Velampalli Srinivasa Rao, Botsa Satyanarayana, Kodali Srivenkateswara Rao, Durga Temple Chairman Pyla Sominaidu, District Collector A.M.D., Imtiaz, City Police Commissioner B. Srinivasulu, public representatives and other officials participated in the event today.
The foundation ceremony comes days after the temple attacks. In the past few days, unidentified people attacked and demolished idols of renowned Hindu temples in the State.
To control such incidents, the YSRCP Government on the 7th of January, formed a state level communal harmony committee and district level communal harmony committees.
The formation of the aforementioned committees and laying the foundation stone of the reconstruction of the temples came at a time when the YSRCP Government is being accused of failing to protect Hindu temples.
The opposition parties like the JanaSena Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the TDP criticised the ruling Government for being unable to control vandalism on Hindu temples in A.P.
Meanwhile, it is noted, around 30 temples in Vijayawada had been demolished back in 2016 under the leadership of the TDP.
