Two Telangana Ministers Call on Chilkur Balaji Temple Priest After Attack
Telangana Ministers D. Sridhar Babu and Konda Surekha met with Chilkur Balaji Temple Chief Priest C. S. Rangarajan on Tuesday following his recent attack by the founder and members of the Rama Rajyam organization.
Hyderabad: Telangana Ministers D. Sridhar Babu and Konda Surekha met with Chilkur Balaji Temple Chief Priest C. S. Rangarajan on Tuesday following his recent attack by the founder and members of the Rama Rajyam organization.
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Ministers Condemn the Attack and Support Priest
Both ministers condemned the attack and expressed their solidarity with Rangarajan. D. Sridhar Babu, Industry and Information Technology Minister, stated that the government would take strong action against those spreading hatred and violence in the name of ‘Rama Rajyam’.
“We stand with him against the hatred and violence perpetrated in the name of misguided Rama Rajyam. Such acts will not be tolerated and will be dealt with an iron fist. We will protect our priests, our temples, and our values,” Sridhar Babu posted on X after the meeting with Rangarajan.
Endowments Minister Konda Surekha also visited Rangarajan and condemned the assault. She told the media that the government would ensure those responsible would be punished. She added that imposing one’s beliefs on others was a violation of freedom of expression and emphasized that the Congress government remained committed to protecting the rights of all faiths.
“The Congress government remains committed to upholding the rights of all faiths, as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Any form of injustice will not be tolerated,” Surekha said.
BJP MP D. K. Aruna Condemns the Attack
BJP MP D. K. Aruna also condemned the attack on Rangarajan. After learning about the incident, she called the priest to express her concern. She stated that such attacks would not be tolerated under any circumstances and called for a thorough investigation.
“Such attacks will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The government must conduct a thorough investigation into this incident. Appropriate action must be taken against the person responsible, Raghavareddy. Such acts under the guise of ‘Ram Rajya’ by groups like Ram Sena are completely unacceptable,” Aruna wrote on X.
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She added that Rangarajan’s family, which had been leading society through devotion and spiritual service, deserved respect and protection.
Arrests Made in Connection with the Attack
Cyberabad Police have arrested six individuals, including two women, in connection with the attack on Rangarajan. Kovvuri Veer Raghava Reddy, the founder of the Rama Rajyam organization and the main accused, was arrested on Sunday after Rangarajan filed a complaint. Five other suspects were arrested the following day.
According to the police, 20-25 individuals, dressed in black, assaulted Rangarajan at his residence in Chilkur on February 7. The assailants reportedly demanded financial support from Rangarajan and asked him to recruit people into the ‘Rama Rajyam Army’.
Details About the Rama Rajyam Organization
Veer Raghava Reddy founded Rama Rajyam in 2022 on social media platforms, including Facebook, and operated a YouTube channel. The organization encouraged people to join the army to protect Hindu Dharma and promised a salary of Rs 20,000 for individuals who registered between September 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.
The organization’s members had initially met with the accused in Tanuku on January 24, 2025. After staying there for four days, they contributed Rs 2,000 each and had uniforms stitched by a local tailor. On February 6, they gathered in Yapral, Hyderabad, to take photos and videos in the uniforms with the organization’s backdrop. The following day, they traveled to Chilkur and carried out the attack on Rangarajan.
