TDP started culture of animal sacrifices, says YSR Congress leader

Amaravati, Dec 28 : YSR Congress Party leader and former Minister Perni Nani on Sunday alleged that it was the Telugu Desam Party which introduced the culture of animal sacrifice and blood offerings at flex boards, and is now falsely blaming YSRCP to divert public attention from the failures of the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh.

Perni Nani, as Venkataramaiah is popularly known, condemned the TDP-led coalition government for what he called “diversionary and vindictive politics”.

He alleged the coalition government has pushed the state into an atmosphere of fear, vendetta, and institutional collapse.

Perni Nani said that while Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Home Minister Anitha are making loud allegations about “blood rituals” near flex banners, the fact remains that such practices were originally carried out by TDP supporters themselves during film releases, birthdays of leaders, and even election celebrations.

He recalled instances where animal sacrifice and blood offerings were openly performed near flexes of TDP leaders, including during Balakrishna’s film releases and Chandrababu Naidu’s birthday, without any action being taken then. The YSRCP leader questioned why the same acts are now being projected as crimes only when its supporters are involved, and why selective outrage and selective policing are being used as tools of political intimidation.

Perni Nani was reacting to the arrest of YSRCP workers in two separate incidents over the last one week for alleged animal sacrifice in front of a poster of former Chief Minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Seven YSRCP workers were arrested for allegedly slaughtering a sheep and then showing Jagan’s poster with its blood performing abhishekam as part of Jagan’s birthday celebrations in Chodavaram, Nallajerla mandal in East Godavari district on December 21.

On December 23, seven people were arrested over a similar incident in Bhanukota village, Kanaganipalli mandal of Sri Sathya Sai district.

The accused were reportedly raising slogans of ‘Rappa Rappa’, and the poster said there will be a ‘Gangamma Jatara’ if Jagan returns to power in 2029. The slogans are references to the film ‘Pushpa 2’, in which hero Allu Arjun warns his detractors that he will slaughter them like sheep at a temple festival.

Reacting to the incidents, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged that political violence by YSRCP workers is on the rise. He said that by performing animal sacrifice and pouring blood on the poster, YSRCP wants to create fear.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha played videos of the violent celebrations and said that it had become common for YSRCP workers to make threats of violence, slaughter animals, and use dangerous weapons to cut cakes as part of their celebrations.

However, Perni Nani strongly objected to the way police detained and publicly humiliated YSRCP supporters, parading them on roads and treating them as if they were criminals or traitors. He asked whether such treatment was justified and whether similar action would be taken against those who perform animal sacrifices during village festivals and jatras.

“If animal sacrifice is truly illegal, he asked, will the government ban it uniformly across the state, or is the law meant only to target the opposition?” he asked.