Visakhapatnam Police step up vigil at temples in city

In wake of the vandalisation of the 400-year-old idol of Lord Sri Rama at Ramatheertham temple in Vizianagaram district, the Andhra Pradesh Police have stepped up vigil at temples across the state. Closer home, the Visakhapatnam City Police have been closely monitoring the security arrangements at temples in the region.

Acting on the instructions of the Commissioner of Police Manish Kumar Sinha (IPS), police teams recently visited Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy vari temple in Simhachalam, Bhairava Kona, Pydimamba temple, Bangaruthalli temple, and other temples in the rural and urban parts of Visakhapatnam to review the security arrangements in place. The police even held interactions with the temple authorities and advised them on the precautions to be taken.

From tracking the movement of criminals involved in temple thefts to deploying dedicated security guards for temple committees, the Visakhapatnam City Police is trying to leave no stone unturned in ensuring safety at temples and other places of worship in the city.The Police Commissioner stated that about 60% of the temples in Visakhapatnam city are equipped with CCTV cameras. Identifying that security arrangements need to be beefed up at temples located in the outskirts, the city police said that awareness will be created among the respective temple committees. The police are also planning on introducing special temple beats in every police station.

In Case You Did Not Know…

A 400-year-old idol of Lord Sri Rama, at Ramatheertham temple in Vizianagaram district, was found vandalised last week. On Tuesday, the ancient temple’s doors were found broken while the idol was noticed in a desecrated state. The severed head portion of the revered idol was later recovered in a nearby pond. The incident triggered widespread protest across the state with the opposition parties blaming the ruling YSRCP for its inability to safeguard temples. On the other hand, the YSRCP leaders have alleged that the TDP and its followers are behind such incidents of temple vandalisation in the state, in an attempt to malign the ruling party.