Religious leader and head of the Kakinada Sri Peetham mutt Paripoornananda on Friday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, reported PTI. BJP National President Amit Shah, who welcomed him to the party at an event in Telangana, said the religious leader will campaign for the party ahead of the December 7 Assembly elections.
Paripoornananda said he joined the party as a “sevak” to campaign for it in South India. “I need nothing because Telugu people have given me a lot,” the religious leader said. “I come here as a karmachari [worker] and will remain a karmayogi [one who desires nothing for his work].”
The BJP president said Paripoornananda joining the BJP “will infuse new energy into the party and boost its election prospects in Telangana”. Party General Secretary Ram Madhav was also present at the ceremony.
In July, the Telangana Police banned the religious leader from Hyderabad for six months for allegedly making provocative statements in Narayankhed in November 2017 and on many other occasions. The Hyderabad High Court suspended the ban in August.
Earlier this year, Paripoornananda had demanded the arrest of Telugu film critic and actor Mahesh Kathi for allegedly making statements that “disrespected” Hindu deities. The police, however, did not give the religious leader permission to hold a protest rally. The police had also banned Kathi from Hyderabad for six months.
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