Sai Baba's Telangana views spark off verbal war, effigy burning

Hyderabad, Jan 22 (UNI) Satya Sai Baba's views against a separate Telangana state today sparked off a verbal war between followers of the Baba, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), and Balladeer Gaddar, with effigies of the Baba and TRS leaders being burnt by rival groups.

While the effigies of TRS leader K Chandrasekhara Rao and Gaddar were burnt by the followers of the Baba, the effigies of Baba were burnt by the TRS workers.

Satya Sai Baba opposed the formation of deparate telengana, calling it a 'sin,' at a function in Chennai yesterday attended by Union Ministers Shivaraj Patil and Dayanidhi Maran, Tamil Nadu Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala, Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Prominent leaders organised the function to felicitate the Baba for taking up repair works on Kandaleru and Pundi canals at a cost of Rs 200 crore, to supplement Chennai's drinking water needs. Mr Karunanidhi, an avowed atheist, called him a ''real God'' as he was attending to the basic needs of people like drinking water.

Baba's remarks on Telengana at the function drew sharp criticism. Mr Rao and Gaddar made a scathing attack on him and advised him to limit his activities to spiritualism and not enter the arena of politics. Their followers burnt effigies of the guru at several places in Telangana.

Reacting, a spontaneous bandh was observed in Puttaparty, the abode of Satya Sai Baba. People of Puttaparti follow him as God himself. He had alone met drinking water needs of the parched Rayalaseema region without any government help, they said. The people took out a processsion today from Venugopala Swamy temple to Ganesh Circle and burnt effigies of Mr Rao and Gaddar.

Meanwhile, Opposition Telugu Desam Party senior leader and MLA Ch Rajeswar Rao today said his party was surprised at the baba's comment on the issue. He said it was a matter of sentiment and everyone should understand the people's feelings.

He, however, added that everyone had a right to express views.

UNI