Hyderabad: BJP leaders on Sunday alleged that the Siddipet police had hit devotees with lathis during the Sivaratri celebrations at Komuravelli Mallanna temple on Friday. The police said no one was hit and the personnel were trying to maintain order.
The issue came against the backdrop where a Delhi police officer kicked a Muslim praying on the road.
The Komuravelli incident occurred when devotees rushed to collect turmeric power after the Peddapatnam ritual, some of them pushing others and climbing the barricades.
Siddipet commissioner Dr B. Anuradha said the police did not assault any devotee but were trying to stop the people climbing on the eight-foot-tall barricades so that they don't injure themselves. She said their intention was to maintain safety.
BJP leaders said it was an attack against Hindus and anti-national. Author and political commentator Anand Ranganathan, entrepreneur Ravi Karkara, AP BJP vice-president Vishnu Vardhan Reddy and others posted the visuals on X.
BJP state treasurer B. Shanthikumar asked Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on X: “Why such inhuman behavior with the Hindus in the state? This is an attack on the fundamental rights of Hindus”(sic).
Political commentator Raushan Sinha said, “They weren't blocking roads, they weren't causing inconvenience to common people, they were doing puja inside their own temple”, while another X user said “This aggression against our faith will not be tolerated!”
