Hyderabad, December 25: State police chief K Aravinda Rao turned into a priest when he visited Sri Rajarajeswara Swamy temple at Vemulawada in Karimnagar district on Thursday.
Attired in a traditional dress, the director-general of police entered the sanctum sanctorum, chanted hymns and performed puja to the Lord all by himself.
The police boss had to face the peculiar situation with the temple priests and employees being on strike demanding implementation of the Pay Revision Commission’s recommendations.
He was even deprived of the ceremonial welcome by Vedic pandits. Not offended or perturbed, the DGP enquired about the grievances of the agitating staff and assured to take up the issue with the authorities concerned.
Devotees were inconvenienced with priests at major temples across the state boycotting their duties and Arjita Sevas like Kalayanam, Ashtottara puja, Abhishekam and Sahasranamarchana.
There was no prasadam either and devotees had to satisfy themselves with only darshan.
Employees staged protests at Sri Sitarama Swamy Devasthanam at Bhadarachalam, Sri Rajarajeswara Devasthanam at Vemulawada, Sri Lakshminrusimha Devasthanam at Simhachalam, Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Devasthanam at Kanipakam and other major temples across the state demanding acceptance of their demands by the government.
Temple employees and priests decided to continue their strike following the failure of talks between the government and the temple staff at the Secretariat here today.
Endowments minister J Krishna Rao appealed to temple staff to call off their agitation as a special committee constituted to look into their demands would submit its report in two weeks.
He assured that the government would study the report and address their grievances.
Unconvinced, employees’ representatives accused the government of dilly-dallying over their demands and remained firm on continuing the strike till the government accepted their demands.
–Agencies