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Tensions broke out between Dalit residents of an Andhra Pradesh village and leaders and workers of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on March 27, over a dispute regarding the construction of a Rama temple at a structure that houses a local deity.
The incident took place in Akividu in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari. According to a fact-finding report published by the Human Rights Forum (HRF), alleged illegal attempts were made to convert a Gonthenamma temple into a Ramalayam (Rama temple) in the Pedapeta area of Akividu. Gonethenamma is a deity of the Mala community (Scheduled Caste), the HRF report said.
The move was statedly led by TDP MLA and Assembly Deputy Speaker K Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju, along with the RSS.
According to HRF, the structure housing the Gonthenamma idol is not a temple in the conventional sense. Instead, it is a choultry (inn) where the idol was also placed. A few decades ago, idols of Rama and Sita were also placed in the building, with the assent of the Gonthenamma temple caretaker, the HRF fact-finding report noted. It is the allegedly “dilapidated condition" of this structure that gave rise to the RSS demand for a Ramalayam.
The plan faced pushback from the Dalit residents of Akividu, who opposed the plans to demolish the place of worship of their local deity. Groups led by Deputy Speaker K Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju visited the region twice — first on March 7 and then on March 27, the festival of Sree Rama Navami.
The proposal was opposed by a section of villagers, leading to repeated confrontations that escalated further after objectionable social media posts. Speaking at Akivudu on March 7, Raghu Rama Krishna Raju said, “In this Scheduled Caste (SC) colony, how many Hindus are there and how many Christians? Is there no Hindu here?” he asked, allegedly ridiculing their Christian identity. In a separate interview with a Telugu channel, Raghu Rama Raju said that they are all “Hindus at the end of the day.”
Following a scuffle that broke out on the first visit on March 7, cases were booked against both sides. However, in the aftermath of the violence that broke out on March 27, only the Dalits were charged with cases. The police booked 58 Dalit persons, of whom 27 were arrested and remanded to judicial custody, the HRF report said.
Three days after violence broke out on March 27 in Akividu in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district, representatives of civil rights group Human Rights Forum (HRF) on Monday, March 30, published a fact finding report. The violence broke out on March 27 during Srirama Navami celebrations, leaving three persons injured.
The renovation proposal has also been backed by Union Minister of State Bhupathiraju Srinivas Varma. “No matter who comes together or not. We will build a Ram temple in Akividu,” he said.
Former Amalapuram MP GV Harsha Kumar on Monday, March 31, proposed a compromise—developing a temple that accommodates both Lord Ram and the local deity—while urging authorities to first consult residents and constitute a committee to address concerns.
HRF has urged the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led Andhra Pradesh government to conduct an impartial inquiry and fix accountability for the clashes.