Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar has alleged that temples have come under attack since the Congress government assumed office in Telangana in December 2023.
Speaking to the media persons after offering prayers at the Goddess Bhagya Lakshmi temple near Charminar, along with the newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators from Karimnagar Municipal Corporation on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Bandi Sanjay claimed that the ruling Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were “at the beck and call of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) without shame.”
Citing several incidents of temple attacks in Telangana over the past two years, he asked, “Why are temples being attacked after the formation of the Congress-MIM government? If the majority Hindu community has to beg for the protection of temples, the society must ask itself who will safeguard Hindu interests.”
He assured that if the BJP came to power, the Bhagya Lakshmi temple would be converted into a golden temple, inspired by the Golden Temple in Punjab.
Claiming that the BJP treated all religions equally, Bandi Sanjay asserted that his party would not stop raising Hindutva issues, even in the face of temple attacks, cow killings, alleged ‘love jihad,’ or claims of Hindu girls being forced to consume drugs.
He urged Hindu leaders and workers of Congress and BRS to leave their parties and join the BJP to work “for society and protect dharma.”
Claiming that BJP workers were arrested during the recent communal disturbances in Banswada town, Bandi Sanjay alleged that it was the AIMIM cadres who carried out the attacks.
Calling for the perpetrators of the clashes to be arrested, he said he was planning to visit Banswada.
Referring to the Telangana government allowing Muslim employees to leave work an hour early during the holy Ramzan month, he said the BJP didn’t oppose it.
He, however, alleged that restrictions were imposed on school children observing ‘Hanuman Deeksha,’ policemen taking the 41-day ‘Ayyappa Deeksha,’ and employees following ‘Bhavani Deeksha.’ He added that BJP leaders are often labelled “communal” for raising such issues.
He claimed that Muslim women supported the BJP in the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation elections following the repeal of triple talaq by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
Bandi Sanjay said the BJP would expose the alleged nexus between Congress and AIMIM, and predicted the party would win the upcoming elections to the Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporations.
He further alleged that while the assets of the “Owaisi family” were increasing, the Muslims in Hyderabad’s old city remained “economically disadvantaged.”
Sanjay Kumar also criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s recent remarks that money was not a priority for the Gandhi-Nehru family, and that Congress workers could pool at least Rs 10,000 crore for the family, including Rs 1,000 crore from Telangana.
“He says workers should pool funds and give Rs 1,000 crore to the duplicate Gandhi family. This CM is there to carry bags to Delhi. Why is Rs 1,000 crore not being given to clear the pending dues of retired employees?” he asked.
Addressing a meeting at the BJP office in Nampally earlier, Bandi Sanjay claimed that Congress MLAs from two Telangana districts have been holding ‘dissident’ meetings seeking ministerial berths, noting that similar gatherings were earlier reported in the neighbouring Karnataka, where Congress is in power.
Alleging that Congress leaders often destabilised their own government, he made it clear thatthe BJP wanted the state government to complete its term democratically.
