Angry devotees damage LED screen at Durga Temple for playing Christian preaching instead of Dushehra celebrations

Editorial Comments

• Christian missionaries will try all types of crooked means to convert Hindus; hence, Hindus have to be alert everywhere. It will not be surprising if in this case too, some lame excuse provided to the investigation agency will let them off !

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) – Hindu devotees at a Dushehra festival in Vijayawada were shocked to see a video of Christian preaching on a large screen installed at the Kanaka Durga Temple. The giant LED screen was installed at the venue to screen the rituals and celebrations of the Dushehra festival, but it displayed a Christian pastor preaching Christianity instead on the first day of Navaratri.

Vijayawada: Angry devotees damage LED screen at Durga temple for playing Christian preaching instead of Dussehra celebrationshttps://t.co/jkeFWqSREK

— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) October 10, 2021

Thousands of Hindu devotees, who had gathered for the Dushehra celebrations, were enraged after seeing the Christian sermons on the screen. They later pelted stones at the screen and damaged it.

BJP Spokesperson SG Suryah tweeted – ‘Christian Evangelism telecasted on LED screen installed at Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada to live telecast the #Navaratri rituals of the temple. Enraged by this, the Hindus pelted stones & smashed the screen”.

The angry devotees demanded strict action against the perpetrators. “Handiwork of a local cable operator who got the contract it seems”, Suryah said further, suspecting the involvement of locals.

Reportedly, the Kanaka Durga Temple authorities had given a contract of displaying Dushehra celebrations on video walls set up at a few places in the Temple premises to a local cable operator.

As per reports, the Andhra Pradesh Police has registered a case in this matter. District Collector J Nivas said, “This was an unfortunate incident. There was negligence on the part of not stopping the item that was played”.

“We are enquiring into it. The case is registered under section 295 (1A) of IPC, it may be changed during the investigation. We cannot tell whether it is a conspiracy until the investigation is held”, District Collector J Nivas added.

Temple authorities claim incident was ‘accidental’

Meanwhile, the Temple authorities have called the incident purely ‘accidental.’ Temple Executive Officer D Bramaramba said, “We came to know from devotees and Police that a video, purportedly of an evangelist of Philadelphia AG Church, was played in one of the LED screens”.

“During interrogation, it came to light that it was purely accidental as the operator concerned failed to switch off after the live telecast had ended, and played the channel’s daily program accidentally”, the EO informed. However, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) has ordered a probe into the incident even after the Police registered a case and detained two people for interrogation.

Vijayawada Commissioner of Police, Bathini Sreenivasulu, also informed that the screening might have been accidental, but warned of strict action if it was proved otherwise.

BJP leader Vishnuvardhan Reddy has termed the incident as sheer negligence on the part of officials of the Endowments Department. He has also demanded action against the errant officials.