Row over images of Christ on Andhra ration cards, govt says TDP supporter printed them

Images of the ration card had been doing the rounds on social media, blaming the Jagan Mohan Reddy government for hurting Hindu sentiments.
Row over images of Christ on Andhra ration cards, govt says TDP supporter printed them
Row over images of Christ on Andhra ration cards, govt says TDP supporter printed them
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Images of ration cards from Andhra Pradesh bearing an image of Jesus Christ have been doing the rounds on social media. The images are being shared accompanied by messages blaming the Jagan Mohan Reddy government yet again for ‘religious propaganda’ and for hurting Hindu religious sentiments. 

Addressing the latest controversy, a statement from the YSRCP government stated that the cards were printed independently by a ration dealer in East Godavari district’s Peddapuram mandal. Claiming that the dealer is a ‘die-hard TDP fan’ and not a ‘converted Christian,’ the statement said that officials of the Civil Supplies Department are mulling action over the ‘issue of misconduct’. 

According to the statement, the dealer had previously printed rations cards with pictures of other religious figures, including an image of Sathya Sai Baba in 2016, and that of the Tirumala deity Balaji in 2017 and 2018. 

This is the latest in a string of controversies blaming the Jagan Mohan Reddy government for facilitating Christian ‘religious propaganda’ or evangelism. Andhra Pradesh BJP, and recently Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan have accused the government of allowing religious conversions near Hindu temples. 

Earlier in August, a government official was suspended following a controversy over advertisements of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem found on the back of an Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSTRC) bus tickets. The buses were plying from Tirumala to Tirupati. 

The APSRTC said that it had taken a serious view of the matter and initiated an internal inquiry, which found the Controller of Stores in Nellore, M Jagadeesh Babu, guilty “for negligence and dereliction of duties."

In September, the Tirupati police arrested three people for allegedly posting a misleading photo of a 'cross' and spreading misinformation that church-like structures were coming up in the Hindu temple town of Tirumala. Police said that the 'cross' was just a pole on top of a forest watchtower. The photo was posted on social media with the caption 'Yedukondalapai Velusthunna Yesuprabhu Mandiraalu', which translates to 'Churches coming up on the seven hills'.

Recently, Chief Minister Jagan responded to the repeated controversies surrounding his Christian faith, saying, “Humanity is my religion, and fulfilling promises is my caste.”

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