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Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu ordered a probe into the burning of the Sri Ramalayam chariot in Hanakanahal village of Anantapur district. The Andhra CM arrived at the scene on Tuesday and spoke with the officials. According to sources, the chariot was set ablaze in the early hours of Tuesday.
The Chief Minister condemned the incident and was briefed by officials on the details. District authorities confirmed that unidentified assailants burned the chariot, after which the CM ordered a comprehensive investigation to arrest the perpetrators immediately and requested timely updates on the investigation from the officials. In Hanakanahal village, local residents noticed the fire and managed to extinguish the flames, but over half of the chariot was already destroyed, sources said. The state government, in its official statement, said, "Authorities are suspecting a conspiracy to hurt Hindu sentiments." The police have launched a thorough investigation, and officers have been mobilised to the village to gather more details about the incident. Following the orders of Anantapur District SP Jagadeesh, Kalyandurg DSP Ravi Babu, and Rayadurg Circle Inspector Venkata Ramana visited the site to assess the situation. DSP Ravi Babu mentioned, "A dog squad and special teams from Anantapur are being deployed to track down the suspects." The incident came amid the Tirupati Prasadam row raging in the state, which started after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, the prasadam offered at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, during the previous YSRCP government. Earlier in the day, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan held former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy responsible for the "contamination" of the Tirupati laddu prasadam. Kalyan said, "I am ready to die for Sanatana Dharma, and I will have no restrictions in the country if I must fight for it." He accused the previous YSRCP government, led by Reddy, of being accountable for the issue. Kalyan slammed Y.V. Subbareddy and Karunakar Reddy, former chairmen of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, stating, "Secularism is two-way and should come from all directions. It is unacceptable for Hindus to abuse one another." He also addressed actor Prakash Raj's criticism of his secularism credentials, asserting, "I respect you, Prakash Raj, but I must speak out against attacks on Sanatana Dharma." Kalyan is currently on an 11-day purification ritual to atone for the alleged use of animal fat in the prasadam. (ANI)
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