The controversy over the reconstruction of the Ramalayam temple at Akiveedu in West Godavari district, along with disputes over the alleged demolition of churches in the region, has created an internal rift within the ruling Telugu Desam Party.
For the last few days, TDP leader Mahasena Rajesh has been posting messages on social media attacking Undi MLA and Assembly Deputy Speaker Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, who took the initiative in the construction of the Ram temple at Akiveedu.
In his latest remarks, Mahasena Rajesh recalled RRR’s earlier political journey as a YSR Congress Party MP and accused him of maintaining silence against former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, despite allegedly facing humiliation during the previous YSRCP regime.
He pointed out that during the YSRCP government, RRR was not even allowed to enter his own constituency or the state. He alleged that YSRCP leaders had attempted to physically assault and politically isolate him.
“Despite this, RRR, after becoming a TDP MLA and Deputy Speaker, has not openly criticised Jagan even once. He even attempted to greet Jagan in the Assembly and maintained cordial relations with former YSRCP MP Vijaysai Reddy, who had previously criticised him harshly,” Rajesh said.
The TDP leader also accused RRR of selectively targeting certain caste and religious groups.
He said that while everyone supported RRR during the Akiveedu Ramalayam reconstruction movement and no local objections were raised after the construction began, the Deputy Speaker continued to make remarks allegedly targeting communities unnecessarily.
Mahasena Rajesh further alleged that RRR had publicly criticised Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu before the elections, asking how people could trust Chandrababu on the Polavaram project if he could not even give him a ticket.
He also referred to a dispute involving a DSP in Bhimavaram, claiming that RRR had publicly opposed a decision taken by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.
In another social media post, which Rajesh later deleted, he claimed that neither P V Sunil Kumar nor Jada Sravan Kumar could stop the Ramalayam construction in Akiveedu through court battles, just as RRR could not stop churches in Undi constituency merely by issuing notices.
He said notices had reportedly been issued regarding permissions for 113 churches, but no actual action had disrupted church activities.
According to him, neither side was genuinely driven by devotion or religious commitment, but by “identity politics” and ego clashes.
Mahasena Rajesh appealed to Hindus not to panic over the Ramalayam issue and urged Christians not to fear church-related developments.
He alleged that certain leaders were portraying themselves as protectors of Hindus or Christians purely for political positioning.
He further claimed that innocent Jana Sena activists had suffered injuries and Dalits had landed in jail because ordinary supporters failed to understand the larger political rivalry among leaders.
He asserted that the NDA coalition government under Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan and Nara Lokesh would not permit injustice against any caste or religious community.
