Pawan Kalyan calls attack on Chilkur Balaji Temple priest 'unfortunate'

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Monday called the alleged attack on a temple priest near Hyderabad by a mob claiming to be descendants of the Ikshvaku clan—who are on a mission to establish 'Ram Rajya'—unfortunate.

In his police complaint, Chilkur Balaji Temple priest C S Rangarajan stated that a mob of 20 people barged into his house in Chilkur, Rangareddy district, Telangana, near the temple premises, and "manhandled" him.

In a press release, Rangarajan’s father and Temple Protection Movement convenor M V Soundararajan said the mob aims to create private armies for their mission and punish those who do not accept their agenda.

"The attack on Chilkur Balaji Temple’s chief priest is unfortunate. This is not just an attack on an individual but on efforts to protect the Hindu faith," Kalyan said in a post on 'X'.

Pawan Kalyan further stated that he was deeply anguished by the incident.

Condemning the attack, the actor-politician stated that it should be seen as an assault on efforts to protect the faith rather than just an attack on an individual.

The Janasena chief urged the police to uncover the real motives behind the attack by members claiming to belong to an outfit called Rama Rajyam.

"The leader of this mob must be identified and severely punished. The Telangana government should take this attack seriously," he said.