Right-wing outfit raises a stink over Left stance

BELITTLING PUSHKARALU

Hyderabad: Chiding leaders of Communist parties for calling upon people not to take a dip in Godavari river during Pushkaralu, Telangana unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad has termed the advice as unfortunate and meaningless.

Speaking to the media at VHP office here on Monday, VHP Telangana Unit president M Ramaraju alleged that the Communist leaders criticised Telangana and AP governments for allotting several crores of rupees for the ‘mute stones’ instead of pumping funds for welfare of the poor people. Ramaraju said the Left parties were habituated to criticise Hinduism without knowing facts.

The VHP leader said the two Telugu States’ governments spent nothing for Hinduism, but for the publicity of chief ministers in Pushkaralu. He alleged that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao spent Rs 1,000 crore on the welfare of Muslims and was contemplating to release Rs 5,000 crore for the development of Macca Masjid.

He released Rs 26 crore for the Ramzan and Iftar parties. But the same Chief Minister released only Rs 10 crore for the Bonalu celebrated by the Hindus who constitute 85 per cent of the population, he said. He questioned the Communists and the so-called secularists whether they were not in a position to look into these facts.

Ramaraju said both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments have got Rs 6,000 crore benefit from the Pushkaralu. He said not only Hindus but also people from other religions participated in the Pushkaralu. He said about 6.4 crore people in Telangana and 4.89 crore people in Andhra Pradesh took holy dip in the river Godavari during Pushkaralu and every devotee spent around Rs 1,000 on travel fares, puja goods and food.

He said overall some 11.29 crore devotees had holy dip in the river Godavari and the government got a revenue of Rs 11.3 crore. The government received Rs.6,000 crore from indirect taxes on milk, flowers, water, essential goods, petrol, diesel and others. He said the AP government received Rs 1,600 crore as ‘kanukalu’ in temple hundis in West Godavari district alone.

In both AP and Telangana States, the revenue through offerings was Rs 5,000 crore through hundis. The information was received from Endowments departments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States.

He said the RTC in both States, which were in heavy losses, have received good revenue and now they were on the path of profits. He demanded that both the Telugu States spend the revenue earned through Pushkaralu to spend the same on Hindu temples only.