PNS|Vijayawada
Former MLA Malladi Vishnu expressed profound concern and outrage over the recent deaths of star tortoises at the Sri Kurmam temple in Srikakulam, terming the incident a grave sacrilege. The coalition government’s negligence has led to a series of attacks on Hindu dharma, the deaths of approximately 15 tortoises, revered as embodiments of Lord Vishnu, as a direct result of the Endowments Department’s failure. Vishnu criticised the authorities for cremating the tortoises behind the temple’s Executive Officer’s office without conducting post-mortems, suppressing the incident. He contrasted this with the YSRCP government’s practice of numbering and medically monitoring tortoises, highlighting the current administration’s inability to protect even 200 tortoises at the sacred site.
The coalition government’s undermining of Hindu sentiments through repeated desecrations at sacred sites, including the deaths of cows at TTD’s goshala in Tirupati, adulteration of Tirupati laddus, and incidents like the demolition of the kashinayana temple in Kadapa and deaths during Vaikuntha Ekadasi. He pointed to ongoing sacrilegious acts at Tirumala, such as devotees wearing footwear, filming reels, and using drones, alongside inadequate facilities for pilgrims and a recent gold theft in Tirumala’s parking area.
Vishnu stated that the government’s failure to appoint an Executive Officer for Vijayawada’s Kanaka Durga temple exemplifies its administrative lapses.
