Insta
Representative Image (creative commons on pixabay)
In a tragic incident of suicide of priest P. Phanikumar Acharyulu due to pressure from temple authorities; archakas of the state have announced protests and closure of 100 temples in the state on Friday. Phani had consumed poison on 12 December and died during medical treatment on 13 December. His death led to protests on Friday (14 December).
Kumar worked as a priest in Venkateswara Temple in Ramachandrapuram in East Godavari district.
Allegedly, this is a second suicide of a priest in the last three months. Archaka Mallikarjuna Sarma, aged 27, working at Sivalayam in Kanupuru village in Korukonda mandal, committed suicide in October this year.
In a selfie video before consuming poison, Sarma alleged of harassment by the temple authorities. He claimed that he was paid just Rs 1,000 per month, and also forced to participate in illegal activities.
Similarly, before consuming rat poison on 12 December, P. Phanikumar Acharyulu also shot a video complaining of harassment by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Trust Chairman, Satyanarayana, his spouse Jayalakshmi, his younger brother Ch Ramakrishna, and said that he was unable to bear the insults and harassment.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest