3 teerths in Rameshwaram temple were shifted from their original place without even hearing public opinion. Did it hurt religious sentiments? I demolished 100 year old temples of Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati on GST road in my constituency (Sriperumbudur). Many told me that I will not get votes because of this. I know that myself. But I know very well how to buy and garner votes. I also detonated rivers Ganga, Cauvery and Kollidam (a tributary of Cauvery on whose banks Srirangam Ranganatha Swamy temple is located) and built bridges. God didn’t do anything to me. If people really believe that Ram Setu is real shouldn’t there be a revolution against the project now?
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Notes from Wikiquote
This quote has been disputed, see BJP leaders tweet clipped video, share T R Baalu’s remarks on ‘demolishing temples’ sans context It is claimed the quote is taken out of context.
Variants
I went to them and told them directly that in my hometown, in my constituency, I had to demolish a Saraswati temple, a Lakshmi temple and a Parvati temple. I knew that the votes wouldn’t come. But I also knew how to get them. So when the comrades said that I wouldn’t get votes, I told them there was no other way and, since all they wanted was a temple, I’d construct a better, more beautiful temple with a place for at least 250 people to eat. After demolishing the structures, I built new ones.