Accusing the opposition parties of politicising the Antarvedi temple fire incident, Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas on Wednesday said that the government had suspended the officials concerned and further investigation was on.

“The government has sanctioned ₹95 lakh for building a new chariot which will be ready for the Rathotsavam, scheduled to be organised at the Antarvedi temple in February next year,” the Minister told the media here on Wednesday.

The Police and forensic experts are probing into the incident. Action will be taken against those responsible after investigation is completed.

“I consider it shameful that leaders such as TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, Somu Veeraju of the BJP, and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan are spreading false propaganda, wrongfully accusing the State government,” said Mr. Srinivas.

The Minister also said that the government would take suggestions from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and religious seers regarding the incident, but would never tolerate ‘any unnecessary politicisation’ of the issue.

Dig at TDP, BJP

“All religions are equal. We will never allow any attack on places of worship irrespective of the religion. It was the TDP which demolished 40 temples on the pretext of organising Krishna Pushkaralu and the BJP was silent then. Soon after coming to power, the YSRCP government issued orders to reconstruct the temples,’’ he said.

He alleged that the previous TDP government had issued Government Orders secretly to sell away the land belonging to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). He claimed that the YSRCP government went against it to safeguard the TTD land.