Deputy Chief Minister K. E. Krishnamurthy has reacted bitterly to TTD head priest A. V. Ramana Deekshitulu’s allegations of impropriety, corruption, and lack of commitment among the administrators in upholding the ethos and sanctity of the Tirumala temple.
‘Violation of rules’
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Mr. Krishnamurthy, who is also Endowments Minister, asserted that the government would not tolerate if Mr. Deekshitulu crossed his limits and tarnished the image of the temple. Mr. Deekshitulu was behaving in an irresponsible manner. It was a violation of rules to talk politics in a press conference. The TTD officials would be asked to take action against the priest for overstepping his duties, he said. The Minister said physical verification of the jewellery of the presiding deity was being done at regular intervals.
The Justice Jagannatha Rao Committee and the Justice Wadhwa Committee constituted earlier had expressed satisfaction over the maintenance and upkeep of the jewellery, he said.
“I support the decision of the TTD to retire him. The priest has been violating the rules. He took his grandson into the sanctum sanctorum . He visits the guest houses to bless the VIPs,” the Minister said. Meanwhile, TDP leader K. Ramamohan Rao, addressing a press conference, said, “There are doubts that the BJP and the YSRCP are behind Mr. Ramana Deekshitulu. It is unfortunate that he is levelling allegations against the temple being a head priest. The sanctity of the temple is at stake.”
‘Evil designs’
Staff Reporter in Tirupati writes: Meanwhile, TTD Trust Board member Dokka Jagannadham flayed Mr. Ramana Dikshitulu for making controversial statements. Addressing the media along with TUDA chairman G. Narasimha Yadav here, he wondered how Mr. Dikshitulu could make allegations of wrongdoing and paint a grim picture of the administration when he himself was at the helm. Mr. Jagannadham accused the BJP and YSRCP of “instigating” Mr. Dikshitulu to derive political mileage, and wondered how the priest could fall prey to their “evil designs.”
“YSRCP leaders appointed to the trust board had the history of making money by selling darshan tickets in the black. They have no right to speak about Tirumala’s sanctity,” he said.
