Is TDP eyeing on Tirumala’s funds?

The former head priest of Tirupati Balaji temple, Ramana Deekshitulu exposed Telugu Desam Party and Chandrababu Naidu after some jewels from the Tirupati temple were auctioned at Sotheby’s. The ex-priest blamed the government for exploiting the temple which led to a full-scale war between the Telugu Desam Party and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

Based on the startling allegations of the head priest, it was quite clear that the TDP government had an axe to grind, and completely misused the power granted to it to control the temples. However, now a TDP minister has said that the former head priest is a political pawn, and should be put behind the bars.  Andhra Pradesh agriculture minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy has made boorish remarks against TTD former chief priest A.V. Ramana Deekshitulu. He said the former priest should be put behind bars and ‘trashed’. The minister said, “Deekshitulu needs to be put behind bars and only then will all facts will be revealed”.  He also alleged that the head priest is making serious allegations against the TDP government on the orders of the BJP and YSRC.

This is likely to go down very badly with the people in Andhra Pradesh, because of Tirupati’s significance. The Tirupati Balaji Temple holds a very special place in the hearts of  the Hindus. In fact, taking on a temple of that stature and dragging it into politics this way is likely to spell doom for the TDP. Ramana Deekshitulu wanted only respect and stature but TDP made it look like as if BJP is instigating the TTD priest to take on the TDP government, which is far from the truth.  TDP has left no stone unturned to insult the temple and its devotees. Chandrababu Naidu is also in the process of making sure that he squeezes out every last ounce of money from the temple for his government’s populist schemes as well as for the TDP. Chandrababu Naidu is trying to control everything in the temple. Infact his government fixed 65 years as the retirement age for the priests whereas Mr. Naidu has crossed the age of 65 and he is still the CM.

The BJP has come out slamming the TDP for this, and is now making inroads in the state on the basis of these ‘core issues.’ The BJP demanded that Somireddy should be sacked for his highly condemnable remarks. The BJP National spokesperson and Member of Rajya Sabha, GVL Narshima Rao said, ” The TDP is interfering in the TTD administrative affairs as if the temple is another political outfit“. He further added, “If the state government does not have anything to hide and no one to protect, it should immediately come forward to probe the allegations”. 

He also slammed both Somireddy and Chandrababu Naidu.  He said, ‘does Chandrababu thinks he is the Nizam of Hyderabad?’

The TDP dumped the BJP because it was facing anti-incumbency, and had to direct the ire of the people somewhere. Unfortunately, after getting embroiled in this, all of Chandrababu Naidu’s crafty politicking is unlikely to do the trick.