Andhra BJP workers on Thursday demanded the sacking of state Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Kodali Nani alias Venkateshwara Rao. This, after his comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in connection with the BJP pointing a finger at Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for attending the Brahmostavams without his wife.
"Kodali Nani (Venkateshwara Rao) has abused Hindu deities, Prime Minister Modi and UP CM Yogi," claimed Rajya Sabha Member and BJP national spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao.
Narasimha questioned CM Jagan and asked whether he will wait till Nani abuses Modi 100 times like Chandrababu Naidu or sack him.
On Wednesday, Nani castigated a range of opposition leaders from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to the BJP.
He said there should be no hindrance like a faith declaration signature for visitors who descend on the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala.
Training his guns on BJP leaders who allegedly demanded that Jagan should have attended the Brahmostavams (ritual ceremony) at Tirumala with his wife, Nani attacked them saying that first Modi and Adityanath should first set such an example.
"First tell Modi to go to the place where the Ram temple foundation stone was laid with his wife like Lord Shiva and Parvati and Lord Venkateshwara and Padmavati. BJP should tell him to be an example to the country. They don't do that," he said.
He questioned whether Adityanath or Modi take their wives to the temples.
"For the great things Modi does, nobody wants to criticise him but because of the behaviour of the lower rung BJP leaders, even Modi is not being spared with discussions about his wife," he said.
"Today, parties are not even sparing Lord Venkateshwara to derive political dividends. This loathsome culture of using deities for votes has emerged," Minister Nani claimed.
The YSRCP firebrand leader came under fire from BJP and certain right-wing groups following his comments over faith declaration in connection with Tirupati temple entry. The right-wing claimed that Minister Nani has ‘defiled’ the Hindu goddesses by equating them to toys and hurt the sentiments of Hindus. The BJP has been alleging attacks on Hindu temples and has been accusing the Jagan government of targeting a particular religion (Hinduism).