Attack on Chilkur Balaji Temple Chief Priest: CM Orders Police to Nail Culprits

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy led the state in offering support to the chief priest of Chilkur Balaji temple Dr C.S. Rangarajan, who was attacked by some people, led by a person claiming to belong to the Rama Rajyam Society, on Sunday.

Talking to Rangarajan over the phone on Monday, Reddy asserted that such attacks on priests would not be tolerated. He ordered police officials to take stringent action against the assailants.

The priest told the police that one Veera Raghava Reddy attacked him for refusing to recruit people for his “sainyam”, a private army, and support his causes monetarily.

Meanwhile, Telangana BJP president and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy, while condemning the attack, said that there was no place for physical attacks, threats and inhuman actions in the civil society. He said it should be considered as an attack on Sanatana Dharma as Dr Rangarajan had quit a top job in a university and was working relentlessly for the protection of dharma and Indian cultural values.

Dr Ranjarajan has been rendering his services for temples and devotees since a long time, Kishan Reddy said.

A team of BJP leaders, including party MP K. Venkat Ramana Reddy, Dr S. Prakash Reddy and Bokka Narsimha Reddy, met Dr Ranjaragan and assured the party’s full support to him.

IT minister D. Sridhar Babu said that the state government would not tolerate such actions and those responsible would be sternly dealt with. He said it was inhuman to assault priests, who have been working selflessly for the welfare of society.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao visited the Chilkur temple and met Dr Rangarajan. He said that the attack on a priest reflected the deplorable law and order situation in the state. He asked the government to act tough against those behind the attack and assured full support to Dr Rangarajan’s kin.

RSS prantha prachar pramukh Katta Rajagopal demanded a thorough investigation into the incident. He said that this should not be seen as an attack on an individual but on the entire Hindu society and the archaka and temple system that is deeply rooted in sanatana dharma.

Pagudakula Balaswamy from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said that radical movements have no place in the civic society. He pointed out that Rangarajan has played a major role in the preservation of Indian culture and traditions and was striving to eradicate untouchability.

VHP national spokesperson Dr R. Shashidar said that Hindu society will never forgive the culprits for insulting a person, who was dedicated to the promotion of Sanatana Dharma.

The Confederation of Voluntary Organisations Peace Network termed it as an extremely dangerous development.

In a release, Mazher Hussain, executive director of the network, said, “If such trends are allowed to continue, common people will be subject to violence making the society unsafe.”