Hyderabad: The zealously religious BJP is offended by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao skipping the Sri Rama Navami celebrations at Bhadrachalam, and the traditional presentation of pattu vastralu (silk clothes) by his grandson Himanshu instead.
The BJP, which is gunning for the TRS of late, says the Chief Minister’s action is disrespectful of Hindus.
“KCR did not keep up the tradition and practice of presenting clothes to Lord Sri Rama on Sri Rama Navami in Bhadrachalam. How is his grandson a state representative? Is it not belittling the honour extended to Lord Sri Rama on this auspicious occasion?” asked the BJP spokesman Krishna Saagar Rao.
Mr Chandrasekhar Rao gave the annual festival a miss reportedly due to ill health. Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari and endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy presented the traditional pattu vastralu on behalf of the government.
Himanshu offered robes on behalf of KCR family
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao skipped the Sri Rama Navami celebrations at Bhadrachalam on Wednesday reportedly due to ill health.
On behalf of the Chief Minister’s family, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s wife Sobha, Himanshu, son of IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, and other family members presented the silk clothes.
Himanshu carried the robes on a plate and presented them to Lord Rama. Union minister Ban-daru Dattatreya and state minister T. Nageswara Rao also offered prayers.
Sri Rama Navami was also celebrated with enthusiasm at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, Yada-girigutta, and other temples statewide.
The early arrival of Himanshu to offer pattu vastralu resulted in some controversy.
Himanshu tried to place the pattu vastralu before the deities but the priests signalled him to wait. He again moved to place the robes but was stopped.
The priests made a perambulation of the Kalyana Mandapam alo-ng with Himanshu and then him allowed to offer the pattu vastralu to the deities.
This gesture of the priests gave the impression that he was offering pattu vastralu on behalf of the government — Himanshu offered the robes on behalf of the family.
Later, endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy brought the mutyala talambralu and pattu vastralu to the stadium in a procession and offered them to the deities.
