Overview
- State BJP president P. V. N. Madhav accused the YSR family of hostility toward Hindu temples and demanded public apologies from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi after Y. S. Sharmila’s remarks.
- Referring to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s announcement, Madhav backed constructing about 5,000 temples with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams funds and questioned Congress opposition.
- BJP spokesperson Sadineni Yamini Sarma escalated the defence with a vow to build even 50,000 temples, asserted TTD’s offerings support religious and social services, and labelled Sharmila anti-Hindu.
- APCC chief Sharmila earlier urged that surplus TTD money be redirected to basic amenities in Dalit colonies, citing overcrowded hostels and poor sanitation, and accused Naidu of adopting RSS ideology.
- Media reports have attributed the temple plan to preventing conversions in Dalit colonies, and as of the latest coverage no rollback of the decision has been announced.