{"data":{"prismicArticle":{"uid":"god-as-a-political-prop-faith-in-the-crossfire","tags":["Editorial"],"first_publication_date":"2026-02-21T12:26:08+0000","last_publication_date":"2026-02-22T13:28:57+0000","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"God As A Political Prop: Faith In The Crossfire"},"rating":null,"datetime":"2026-02-21T09:05:00+0000","img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/aZmRNsFoBIGEgnc2_god.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"embed":{"embed_url":null,"thumbnail_url":null,"author_url":null,"title":null},"content":{"raw":[{"text":"“ఎక్కడో దూరాన కూర్చున్నావు..ఇక్కడి మా తలరాతలు రాస్తున్నావు /చిత్రమైన గారడి చేస్తున్నావు..తమాష చూస్తున్నావు … సామీ”( Seated afar, You write our destiny here below/Watching the fun, You put on a magical puppet show)-Lines from classic song in the film Devudamma(1973).."},{"text":"The 1973 classic song portrayed God as a distant observer, pulling the strings of human destiny from above."},{"text":"Back then, God was the director or that is what the lyricist made us believe."},{"text":"In today's Andhra Pradesh politics, however, the roles have flipped. God isn't pulling the strings anymore; He’s being used as the string, a handy prop in a political circus where leaders are brazenly using His photos to settle scores."},{"text":"The recent chaos in the Legislative Council over the Tirupati Laddu mess is a perfect example."},{"text":"What should have been a serious talk about contamination of God’s prasadam turned into a schoolyard brawl."},{"text":"By parading pictures of Lord Venkateswara through the hall, while allegedly wearing shoes, politicians turned a sacred icon into a \"punching bag.\" It seemed the Deity was willingly caught himself amidst floor protests and dodging flying slippers."},{"text":"The timing of this \"Sacrilege accusations\" is suspiciously perfect."},{"text":"The outrage exploded exactly when the opposition members tried to talk about Indapur Dairy and its links to Heritage Foods (the CM’s family business)."},{"text":"Suddenly, the conversation shifted from \"where did the ghee come from?\" to \"who wore shoes while carrying  the photo?\" It’s a classic magic trick: look at the slippers on the floor, but please ignore the balance sheets of the dairy and the conspirators behind the alleged contamination of the Tirupati Laddu."},{"text":"This isn't about deep faith; it’s about political insecurity. The government successfully turned a boring corporate audit, the debate into the controversy into a holy war."},{"text":"By screaming \"Desecration!\", they managed to hide uncomfortable questions about business reputations and supply-chain contracts behind a wall of religious anger."},{"text":"It’s a case of “Why talk about grease and ghee when you can talk about gods and ghosts, and saints and sinners”?"},{"text":"Instead of catching the people who actually tainted the Prasadam, the state’s political leaders are stuck in a game of \"Whataboutism.\""},{"text":"While the government shouts \"Blasphemy!\", the opposition digs up old videos of the Chief Minister wearing slippers during a prayer."},{"text":"It’s a race to see who is less holy. The average person is left wondering: is the temple’s sanctity being protected, or is a corporate contract being shielded?"},{"text":"Using God to score points in a political fight is playing with fire. It risks stirring up a communal frenzy that could easily spin out of control."},{"text":"When faith is reduced to a political tool, the truth gets buried under a mountain of fake outrage."},{"text":"To update that old song: it’s not God pulling our strings anymore, it’s the politicians. And God? He’s just a silent prop forced to watch the \"fun\" from the front row of a legislative fight."}]}}},"relatedArticles":{"edges":[{"node":{"uid":"ignoring-loyalists-a-recipe-for-political-ruin","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Ignoring Loyalists:A Recipe For Political Ruin"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/aeHb951ZCF7ETRkW_jeevanrevanth.JPG?auto=format,compress&rect=0,0,2028,1000&w=2028&h=1000"},"datetime":"2026-04-17T07:06:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"linking-delimitation-with-womens-reservation-what-an-idea-sir-ji","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Linking Delimitation with Women's Reservation: What an Idea, Sir ji"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/Zmk2ZZm069VX1qJd_loksabha.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"datetime":"2026-04-16T08:02:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"from-responsible-statecraft-to-performative-diplomacy","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"From Responsible Statecraft To Performative Diplomacy"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/ad9HfJ1ZCF7ETM3E_trumpmodiHormuzStrait.JPG?auto=format,compress&rect=0,0,2028,1000&w=2028&h=1000"},"datetime":"2026-04-15T08:20:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"islamabad-paradox-global-diplomacy-of-unpaid-bills","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Islamabad Paradox: Global Diplomacy Of Unpaid Bills"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/ad9fdp1ZCF7ETNKW_islamabadtalks.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"datetime":"2026-04-15T07:06:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"amaravati-vision-or-vanity","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Amaravati: Vision Or Vanity?"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad%2F872ab75d-1465-4840-ab63-98d574f8cce3_amaravatij.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C40%2C1280%2C631&w=2028&h=1000"},"datetime":"2026-04-12T06:30:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"castles-corridors-and-cacophony-the-andhra-capital-circus","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Castles, Corridors And Cacophony: The Andhra Capital Circus"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/adjasZ1ZCF7ETEGf_mavigun.JPG?auto=format,compress&rect=0,0,2028,1000&w=2028&h=1000"},"datetime":"2026-04-10T09:10:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"the-us-has-picked-its-prefered-broker-why-cringe","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"The US Has Picked It's Prefered Broker, Why Cringe?"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/adeGXJ1ZCF7ETBKc_USPAK.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"datetime":"2026-04-09T07:35:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"pakistan-ne-war-rukwaadi-abba","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Pakistan Ne War Rukwaadi, Abba!"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/adYq6p1ZCF7ES9M3_warstopped.JPG?auto=format,compress&rect=0,0,2028,1000&w=2028&h=1000"},"datetime":"2026-04-08T09:16:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"amaravati-andhras-forever-project-or-its-biggest-political-prop","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Amaravati: AP's Forever-Project Or It's Biggest Political Prop?"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/adONfZGXnQHGZR-z_jagancbnamaravati.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"datetime":"2026-04-06T09:11:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"hormuz-block-the-great-bystanders-club","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"Hormuz Block: The Great Bystanders Club"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/ac9z3JGXnQHGZPiF_hormuz.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"datetime":"2026-04-03T08:01:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"mavigun-now-the-joke-is-on-ys-jagan","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"MAVIGUN: Now, The Joke Is on Jagan?"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/c46db5a0-655c-46df-b867-84fa8f744bfa_jagan+amaravati.JPG?auto=format,compress"},"datetime":"2026-04-02T07:24:00+0000"}}},{"node":{"uid":"the-spark-beneath-the-slab","data":{"third_party_url":null,"title":{"text":"The Spark Beneath The Slab?"},"img":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/prad/acuEbJGXnQHGZHmy_amitshahmaoists.JPG?auto=format,compress&rect=0,0,2028,1000&w=2028&h=1000"},"datetime":"2026-03-31T08:23:00+0000"}}}]}},"pageContext":{"isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages":false,"uid":"god-as-a-political-prop-faith-in-the-crossfire","tags":["Editorial"]}}