In a recent development on Tuesday, November 14th, the Andhra Pradesh Police initiated a police complaint against members of local churches in Chittoor for involvement in converting Hindus to Christianity at the sacred Hindu Temple tank. The incident took place in the Karvetinagaram village of Chittoor district, where church authorities performed baptisms on Hindus at the Pushkarini of Venugopala Swamy temple on Monday, November 13th.
As reported by OpIndia, the temple, administered by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), came into the news as a viral video captured the conversion activities, drawing the attention of locals and authorities alike.
Responding to the incident, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state spokesperson P. Bhanuprakash Reddy condemned the actions and called for appropriate legal action against the responsible church authorities. During his visit to the temple on November 14th, Reddy urged the local police to identify those involved in the religious conversion and recommended the prosecution of pastors under GOs 746 and 747 for violating the sanctity of religious places, as reported by Deccan Chronicle.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, Reddy emphasised the need for a comprehensive security audit of all TTD and Hindu shrines, urging stringent security measures to maintain public order and communal harmony.
In response to the controversy, the BJP filed a complaint with TTD executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy, who assured them that individuals accountable for the attempted religious conversion at the Devasthanam temple would face legal consequences.
The Karvetinagaram police have taken action by filing an FIR (Cr. No: 87/2023) against the local church authorities based on the complaint filed by concerned Hindus. Ongoing investigations are expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the religious conversion in the sacred Hindu temple tank.
