Functionaries of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Andhra Pradesh claimed that Christians in Guntur district of the state have illegally constructed a cross at a Hillock which carried footprints of Hindu goddess Sita.
However, videos accessed by The Quint and accounts of local reporters clearly state that both the religious structures are located on two separate but adjacent hillocks in Guntur. Even the Andhra Pradesh police have called out the viral claim.
CLAIM
BJP National Convener and co-incharge of the party’s Andhra Pradesh unit, Sunil Deodhar, shared a set of three images on Twitter with a claim which reads: “See huge illegal Cross in Edlapadu, AP where once foot prints of #SitaMaa existed. Carving of Lord Narasimhama exists at back. In Guntur Dist Christian mafias have created havoc. @BJP4Andhra & @friendsofrss protested but administration tacitly supported (sic).”
Among others who shared the same claim are S Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, the general secretary of BJP in Andhra Pradesh and RSS mouthpiece Organiser. Right wing portal Swarajya also published a report on the issue, attributing the information to the BJP and RSS.
WHAT WE FOUND
Responding to Deodhar’s tweet, Guntur rural district police uploaded a video claiming that the two structures in the viral images (Cross and the footprint) are on different hillocks.
This raised our suspicion and we reached out to local reporters from Guntur who confirmed to us that both the religious places of worship are located on two separate but adjacent hillocks and the temple with goddess Sita’s footprint is still very much intact.
In another tweet, District Collector of Guntur rubbished the claim and said, “the hill with Sita Maata footprints is different from the hill which has the Cross (sic).”
We have also learnt that the District Collector has prohibited visits to both the sites owing to communal tension in the area.
Further, speaking to news website The News Minute, Sub-Inspector of Edlapadu rubbished the viral claim.
“The hillock on which the cross was erected is around half a kilometre away from the hillock on which the idol of Narasimha Swamy is present. The hillock on which the cross was erected is known locally as the Rahadari Mata shrine,” the TNM report quoted him as saying.
Clearly, misleading claims about Christians in Andhra Pradesh capturing a Hindu shrine to build a cross over it were made by several functionaries of BJP without due verification.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)