Lakshmi Narasimha statue in Singarayakonda damaged long ago: CI Srinivas Rao

Singarayakonda: The hands of the Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy statues were damaged long ago due to unknown reasons, but was caught attention of the public due to the recent unrest over the damages to temples, announced the Singarayakonda CI U Srinivasa Rao.

Following the newsbreak over the damage the hands of Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy statues, made with iron and cement on the welcoming arch to the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Old Singarayakonda since the Tuesday morning, the CI Venkateswara Rao, SI Sampath Kumar visited the spot along with the temple EO. After interacting with the locals and the temple officials, the CI Venkateswara Rao told The Hans India that the cement statues are damaged long ago. Rubbishing the claims that some miscreants wantedly damaged the statues on Monday night, the police officer said that the same damaged statues are visible in a news clipping aired more than a month by a private news channel, to support his version. He said that the iron rods put in support to the hands are also corroded to prove that they are damaged long ago. He said that the damages to the statues of the deities and another statue on the arch are already in the notice of the temple officials and they have submitted the proposals for their repair.

He advised the public to refrain themselves from believing everything and reacting based on them.

The Prakasam district additional SP B Ravichandra announced that the hands of the statues are damaged due to corrosion of the iron rods. He said that the arch was constructed about 20 years ago and repairs to it will be done during Brahmotsavam every year. But due to the lockdown last year, he said, the repairs were not done and the damaged hands continued to exist. He warned that police department will take action on people trying to disturb communal harmony in the district.