Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas on Tuesday claimed that the fire incident at Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple at Antarvedi in East Godavari district on September 6 was a conspiracy against the State government. He said the State government would bring the facts out soon.
Speaking to newsmen after inspecting the temple where a 50-foot chariot was gutted, Mr. Srinivas said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had sought a report on the incident from a group of Ministers, including him, B.C. Welfare Minister Ch. Venugopala Krishna and Social Welfare Minister P. Viswaroop. The police and forensic experts were also probing the incident.
“A few staff of the Endowments department have been transferred and some have been suspended in the wake of the fire. The failure of the CC camera surveillance system on the temple premises is also being investigated,” he said. However, he did not disclose the number of staff who had been suspended or transferred.
The Minister said some temple property, such as chariots, were normally kept outside the temples. All the temples had been directed to ensure safety of chariots and other property and bring them under the CC camera surveillance system, he said.
Tension
Tension prevailed for some time on the temple premises when people under the banner of various Hindu religious organisations thronged Antarvedi and tried to enter the temple. The police allowed only the Ministers and key officials for the inspection.
The locals and those associated with the religious groups blocked the convoy of the Ministers for some time, preventing them from proceeding to inspect the temple.