Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) has taken serious exception to the recent composition of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board, flaying the State Government for turning it a ‘rehabilitation centre’ for the politically-unemployed.
At a demonstration in front of the TTD administrative building here on Monday, a mere two days after the trust board was officially sworn in, the party expressed its resentment over the inclusion of ‘tainted’ personalities in the board.
CPI-M Chittoor district Secretary K. Kumar Reddy referred to at least two persons in the board with the dubious distinction of having involvement in illegal activities, one in a black money racket as exposed by a media channel and a website last year and the other of having links with the sand mafia of Tamil Nadu. “The appointment will certainly send a wrong message to the devout and also hurt the sentiments of Venkateswara devotees across the globe”, he remarked.
Terming the appointment as based purely on political considerations, Mr. Reddy, who led the agitation, said that it was unfortunate that the TTD had become a refuge for non-entities and people with no spiritual bent of mind. Irrespective of the parties ruling the state, the TTD is continued to be run as per the whims and fancies of those in power.
“It will not augur well for the temple management and do no good to the world famous shrine”, he added. The party also dubbed the move to accommodate two legislators from Telangana as an attempt by the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to keep its flock together, in view of the reported poaching by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
The party demanded the Government to immediately reconstitute the board by taking pious people on board.
