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BJP leaders throng Bhagyalakshmi temple at Charminar, security up
During the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Elections in December 2020, home minister Amit Shah began his rally after praying at this temple. UP chief minister Adityanath, too, worshipped at this temple and pitched for renaming Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar, as a tribute to Bhagyalakshmi temple
Hyderabad
The Bhagyalakshmi temple abutting historic monument Charminar in Hyderabad has once again come into limelight on the occasion of Bharatiya Janata Party’s two-day national executive committee meeting beginning Saturday.
Several BJP top leaders who landed in the city to attend the NEC meeting thronged the temple for the last two days to worship Goddess Lakshmi.
On Saturday, the police made elaborate arrangements at the temple following the information that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath would be visiting the temple to pray the presiding deity. However, Yogi deferred his plan to Sunday, a BJP leader familiar with the development said.
He said BJP national president J P Nadda is also expected to visit the temple on Sunday but there was no confirmation yet. “There is also a possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi coming to Charminar to worship at the Bhagyalakshmi temple on Monday morning,” he said.
Though there is no mention of Modi’s visit to Bhagyalakshmi temple in his itinerary, there is a reserved time for him on Monday morning. “Since it is an issue of security, it won’t be disclosed till the last moment. But the talk is that he might pay a visit to the temple before leaving for Andhra Pradesh on July 4,” the leader quoted above said.
On Friday BJP dignitaries, including national vice-president Radha Mohan Singh, Bihar MP Purvi Champaran, Arunachal Pradesh president and MLA Biyuram Wahge, MP from Mangaldoi (Assam) Dilip Saikia, North-East BJP general secretary Ajay Jamwal, Uttar Pradesh MP Rekha Verma, Haryana MLA Assem Goel, former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das, Jagatguru Swami Raghavacharya of Ayodhya and other leaders offered prayers at the temple.
The Bhagyalakshmi temple located on the eastern side of Charminar has been the focal point of the BJP’s politics in Telangana. During every election, the BJP leaders make it a point to come to the temple to pay their obeisance.
During the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Elections in December 2020, Union home minister Amit Shah began his election rally after praying at this temple. UP chief minister Adityanath, too, worshipped at this temple in the past and pitched for renaming Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar, as a tribute to Bhagyalakshmi temple.
The temple was also in the news recently after Congress leader Rashed Khan raked up a controversy by starting a signature campaign seeking the reopening of the mosque inside Charminar for namaz.
The Hyderabad police made elaborate security arrangements and deployed Rapid Action Force (RAF), Task Force, Armed Reserve Police and local law and order personnel.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) P Sai Chaitanya along with other police officials reviewed the security arrangements in the wake of the BJP leaders’ visits on Saturday. Police pickets have been posted at various important and sensitive places in the Old City to ensure that there is no trouble.
