Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit New Delhi on Tuesday for a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, official sources told PTI. Though the sources did not specify whether the Chief Minister has been summoned to give an ‘explanation’, the sudden visit assumes significance as it comes after the state BJP leaders lodged complaints with the Centre against the Jagan Mohan Reddy government alleging a spate of desecration of idols in temples in recent times.
The Andhra Pradesh BJP, in fact, has even alleged that the state police under the leadership of Director General of Police Gautam Sawang had not only "utterly failed" in protecting the temples and the idols but was also "intentionally, deliberately and carelessly issuing statements defaming and damaging the reputation of the party."
State BJP president Somu Veerraju threatened to take "appropriate action for your prosecution under criminal law" against the DGP over the latter's claims that BJP workers were involved in the recent attacks on temples.
BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao spoke to Amit Shah and complained about the attacks on temples and the "failure" of the state government in preventing the acts of vandalism and also in bringing the culprits to book.
In the temple chariot burning case in Antarvedi in September 2020, the state government did write to the Centre seeking a CBI investigation, but the Central agency is yet to take up the case.
CM Jagan is expected to take up the issue with the Union Home Minister, sources said.
The state, during its winter session of the Legislature in December last, passed a modified legislation, the AP Disha (Special Courts for Specified Offences against Women and Children) Bill 2020, which requires the President's assent upon clearance by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The state Assembly's resolution seeking abolition of the AP Legislative Council is also awaiting the Union government's approval. These issues too are expected to come up in the discussions between the two, the sources added.
As his government is keen on locating the state’s Executive Capital in the port city of Visakhapatnam, launching the functioning by Telugu New Year’s Day or Ugadi in April, the Chief Minister is expected to brief Amit Shah on the current legal imbroglio that has been holding up the move.