New Delhi: The serenity of the Chilkur Balaji Temple in the Moinabad mandal of Rangareddy district, located in the outskirts of Hyderabad and known to devotees as the “Visa God” temple, was disturbed on February 7.
A mob of roughly 20 men and women, clad in black uniforms and saffron shawls – the distinctive attire of the self-styled “Rama Rajyam army” – descended upon the residence of head priest C.S. Rangarajan.
They were not seeking blessings, but soldiers and funds for their cause.
The assault was not a spontaneous act of violence but a calculated act of intimidation by a burgeoning extremist group known as “Rama Rajyam”, seeking to impose its vision of a Hindu theocratic state on India.
The attackers explicitly demanded that Rangarajan leverage his position to assist them in recruiting fighters and raising funds for their “private army”, threatening unspecified but “dire consequences” if he refused.
The attack
The morning of February 7 began like any other for Rangarajan, but around 8:00 am, a convoy of three vehicles arrived at his residence, disgorging roughly 20 men and women in their distinctive uniforms.
According to his complaint filed with the Moinabad police, the group, led by Veera Raghava Reddy, forced their way into his quarters and immediately launched into a tirade against him.
Footage of the incident, initially uploaded to Rama Rajyam’s website and YouTube channel before being hastily deleted, captured Reddy pacing aggressively and gesturing forcefully as his followers looked on with apparent approval.
He accused Rangarajan of neglecting his duty to protect Hindu dharma and berated him for his supposed ignorance of “true” Hindu tradition.
“You know nothing, you’re just dressed as a priest … You only have arrogance,” Reddy thundered as his supporters watched intently.
The central demand reiterated repeatedly and aggressively by Reddy was for Rangarajan to actively participate in recruiting “Kshatriyas” – warriors – for their “private army” and to use his influence to raise funds (from “Vaishyas”) for their cause.
AdvertisementShocking, #ChilkurBalaji Temple’s Chief Priest, C.S. Rangarajan, was allegedly threatened and manhandled by Ikshwaku Descendants, at his residence at #Chilkur. The attackers forcibly entered his home.
The #ChilkurTemple protection convener Dr. MV Soundararajan… pic.twitter.com/0rDdn3Qm0i
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) February 9, 2025
Invoking the upcoming Hindu new year of Ugadi as a deadline, Reddy declared, “I’m giving you time till Ugadi. Work towards establishing Rama Rajyam,” threatening unspecified but “dangerous” consequences for non-compliance. He boasted that his followers “are here to sacrifice their lives for dharma”.
Rangarajan, visibly shaken but maintaining composure, attempted to reason with Reddy, arguing that he too strived for “Rama Rajyam” but through constitutional means. “Does the constitution ask you to take a knife and kill people?” he countered.
His pleas fell on deaf ears. Reddy dismissed Rangarajan’s attempts to achieve Hindu nationalist goals through legal channels as “a waste”. He railed against the judiciary, calling judges “out of control” and declaring his intention to “skin the judiciary”.
The verbal assault escalated into physical violence when Reddy and several followers began striking Rangarajan in the face while others filmed the incident on their mobile phones.
M.V. Soundararajan, Rangarajan’s father and convenor of the Temples Protection Movement, confirmed the attack in a press release, stating, “They seriously manhandled my son Shri Rangarajan…They landed blows on him in our house.”
Legal and political response
Following the attack, Rangarajan filed a police complaint, leading to Reddy’s arrest on February 9. The Moinabad police confirmed Reddy’s prior cases for harassing a woman and obstructing a public servant.
Police investigations revealed that the “Rama Rajyam army” largely comprised daily wage workers recruited with promises of monthly salaries worth Rs 20,000.
Five additional members, including two women, were arrested on February 10 and ten others were arrested on Friday (February 14).
The incident drew swift reactions from across the political spectrum. Chief minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed outrage at the incident and personally contacted Rangarajan to offer assurances of support and condemn the growing climate of intolerance in the state.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K.T. Rama Rao denounced the attack and criticised what he said was the state government’s inadequate response to the rising threat of right-wing extremism.
Ironically, even the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) distanced itself from Veera Raghava Reddy and his organisation through their Telangana publicity chief Pagudakula Balaswamy, who said that the VHP did not endorse Reddy’s methods or ideology, characterising the attack as an aberration and not representative of the broader Hindu community.
The BJP’s response proved notably muted. While BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar offered support to Rangarajan via X, expressing concern for his well-being and offering “any support needed”, there was no official condemnation of the attack or of Reddy’s extremist ideology from the state or national BJP leadership.
This silence drew criticism from opposition parties, who accused the BJP of tacitly condoning the actions of extremist groups that align with their broader Hindutva agenda.
Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister K. Pawan Kalyan, leader of the Jana Sena Party and a saffron-clad self-declared ‘Sanatani Hindu’ who revived the Free Hindu Temples movement in his Varahi Declaration recently in September last year, is on a pilgrimage to South Indian temples. He demanded stringent action against the accused.
Also read: Unchecked by Consequences, a New Authoritarianism Is Unfolding in India
Who is Veera Raghava Reddy?
Veera Raghava Reddy’s trajectory from a concerned parent to a radical religious leader reveals a complex and enigmatic figure. A native of Koppavaram in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district who is now residing in Manikonda in Hyderabad, Reddy embodies a peculiar blend of traditional religious education and modern legal acumen.
His educational background includes training in classical music at the prestigious Chennai Music Academy. He frequently employs his knowledge of devotional chants and Sanskrit shlokas in his increasingly incendiary online pronouncements.
Beyond his religious training, Reddy demonstrates an understanding of Indian legal codes, which he has leveraged in a series of increasingly confrontational legal battles over the years.
One of the defining moments in Reddy’s early public life was a consumer forum case against the Jubilee Hills Public School in Hyderabad in 2015. The case arose from the school’s refusal to promote his daughter to the third grade citing her poor academic performance. Invoking the Right to Education Act, Reddy pursued the case and won Rs 55,000 in compensation.
Unsatisfied with this victory, he escalated the matter to the Telangana high court and even to the Supreme Court.
His confrontational approach intensified in 2016 when he filed complaints against sitting high court judges, accusing them of issuing illegal orders. The court dismissed his plea and imposed Rs 25,000 in exemplary costs, terming his actions an “unwarranted assault on the judiciary”.
Reddy’s rhetoric appears to have grown increasingly hostile toward the legal system, culminating in his current pronouncements calling for the dismantling of the judiciary and police, whom he terms “the army of Kali”.
Reddy’s political leanings have undergone a significant shift. Initially active in regional politics as president of the Andhra Association in Telangana, he vocally criticised then-chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and the governor for their purported neglect of Andhra Pradesh’s interests.
His regional activism gradually faded, replaced by an increasingly fervent embrace of Hindu nationalism. He began visiting temples across the Telugu states, seeking followers from the ‘Ikshvaku dynasty’, Lord Rama’s lineage, to which he claims belonging.
Leveraging social media platforms, particularly YouTube and Facebook, he disseminated his extremist views, seemingly attracting a dedicated following drawn to his fiery speeches, appeals to Hindu pride and promises of a Hindu rashtra.
Interestingly, such claims have historical roots. The Ikshvaku king Chamtamula, who ruled in the early third century CE, founded the Ikshvaku dynasty after the fall of the Satavahana empire around 220 CE. In an effort to legitimise his rule, Chamtamula linked himself to the prestigious Suryavanshi dynasty of Ayodhya’s Rama, most likely with the help of collaborating priests. By choosing the name ‘Ikshvaku,’ Chamtamula established a divine justification for his rule.
Organisational structure and ideology of Rama Rajyam
Rama Rajyam claims to operate with a meticulous structure and has a clearly articulated, albeit deeply disturbing, ideology, operational framework and set of objectives.
Drawing from interpretations of Hindu scriptures, specifically the Bhagavad Gita, and selective constitutional citations, Reddy has crafted a narrative justifying violence, promoting extrajudicial killings and apparently advocating for the overthrow of India’s democratically elected government.
The organisation’s website serves as a chilling manifesto outlining its vision for a Hindu theocratic state and its plans to achieve it.
At the core of Rama Rajyam’s ideology is the belief that India’s current legal and political systems are irrevocably corrupted and controlled by forces hostile to Hindu dharma.
Reddy routinely denounces the judiciary and the police as “the army of Kali”, accusing them of protecting criminals and obstructing the establishment of a true Hindu nation.
He specifically targets Article 124(4) of the constitution regarding judicial removal, arguing it provides excessive protection to judges and prevents them from being held accountable for their alleged “anti-Hindu” actions.
Reddy advocates for citizens’ arrests of judges and police officers through a misinterpretation of CrPC Section 43, and calls for the forceful seizure of temples, temple lands and cow grazing pastures, asserting these rightfully belong to Hindus and must be “reclaimed” by force if necessary.
The rigid hierarchical structure listed in the organisation’s website mirrors that of a traditional kingdom, with Reddy at its apex as supreme leader, followed by “rulers” at state, district, mandal and village levels, each responsible for enforcing organisational dictates within their designated territories.
Recruitment occurs primarily online through their website and social media channels, targeting young men with promises of salary, purpose and participation in a “divine mission”. Recruits must take an oath of allegiance, pledging to “kill or be killed” in service of Rama Rajyam.
This chilling oath, documented in videos on Reddy’s YouTube channel, points to the group’s commitment to violence as a means to achieve its goals.
Prior to the attack on Rangarajan, Reddy and his followers embarked on a systematic tour of prominent temples in Andhra Pradesh, demanding financial contributions and recruits from temple priests and local communities. The collection of registration fees from potential recruits, as revealed by the police investigation, indicates a level of financial organisation that warrants further scrutiny.
Prominent right-wing influencer Karunakar Sugguna condemned the attack on the priest in a video statement. Sugguna, who runs the Hindu right-wing YouTube channel Shiva Shakti – known for glorifying Hindutva and also simultaneously using inflammatory rhetoric against “missionaries” and “Christian converts” (who are mostly Dalits) – warned that such violence would derail their ongoing endeavor to achieve ram rajya.
“January 22, 2024 [alluding to the Ayodhya temple inauguration] is proof that we are on our way. Our Hindu brothers and sisters should realise that we can achieve Rama Rajyam through purely democratic means. What is a democracy but majority rule? Since we Hindus are a majority, we can rule this country for the benefit of all Hindus within this democratic and constitutional framework. Please wisen up and don’t derail our project with your shortsightedness,” Karunakar lamented.
