Let Hindus go back to Old City; will ensure their protection: MoS Home Bandi Sanjay

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar has alleged that Hindus are forced to beg for funds to organise festivals like Bonalu despite being sincere taxpayers.

Hindus pay taxes, yet forced to beg

Participating in the Bonalu celebrations at the historic Lal Darwaza temple in Hyderabad’s Old City, Sanjay said, “Hindus in the Old City pay taxes, electricity, and water bills on time while others don’t. Yet our Hindu community is forced to beg for funds for temples and festivals like Bonalu.”

He stated that if the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, comes to power in Telangana, adequate funds would be ensured for Hindus to celebrate their festivals with pride and dignity.

Return of Hindus to Old City

Addressing devotees, Bandi Sanjay appealed to Hindus who had left the Old City due to fear of terrorist activities to return to their homes, promising that the BJP would protect ‘Hindu society’.

“Those who left the Old City due to bombs and jihadi terrorists’ threats should come back. We will stand by them,” he said.

Need for Hindu vote bank

The BJP leader said Hindus should become a united vote bank. “Other parties are greedy for the votes of a group that constitutes 12 per cent of the population as they feel Hindus, who form nearly 80 per cent, don’t vote en bloc,” he alleged, without naming the Congress or BRS.

He criticised leaders of these parties for fighting over protocol courtesies during temple visits, while neglecting the real needs of temple committees. “It is pitiable that temple committees have to seek funds from governments to organise festivals,” he said.

Visit to Bhagya Laxmi Temple

Earlier in the day, Bandi Sanjay offered prayers at the Bhagya Laxmi temple near Charminar and said the BJP had initiated a tradition wherein any political leader or celebrity visiting Hyderabad seeks blessings at the temple.

Concluding his address, he urged people to safeguard Sanatan Dharma and recalled the tradition of Hinduism: ‘Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu’ (May all people be happy).