Swamy Paripoornananda, who has embarked on a protest programme to exert pressure on TTD and the government to check evangelical activities at Tirumala and in the TTD institutions, held a dharna on Saturday in front of the TTD’s administrative building along with other like-minded swamijis and local functionaries of the Bharatiya Janatha Party and its frontal organisations.
Protests by the Swamijis come in the wake of an episode allegedly involving some lower level employees of the TTD’s health wing indulging in evangelical practices in their TTD staff quarters at Tirumala recently.
Even as Paripoornananda and others sat on their dharna at a make-shift tent, a number of activists belonging to other organisations raised slogans against the ‘religious outrage’ and waved party flags and banners.
The Swamy demanded that the TTD not only take all steps to curb missionary activities at Tirumala and in TTD institutions but also ensure that non-Hindus are not employed in the organisation and that those already employed be repatriated to government.
Support from others
The stir by the swamijis has received support from the Hindu Devalayala Parirakshana Samithi headed by Kamalanandaswamy, Tirumala-Tirupati Samrakshana Samithi led by D.R. Narendra and Aadi Hindu Parirakshana Samithi founded by Kalluri Chengaiah.
They expressed solidarity with Swaroopananda, who is expected to take a ‘padayatra’ through the main streets of Tirupati on Sunday to intensify his stir.
Kalluri Chengaiah, who felicitated the swamijis has in a representation demanded that the 150-odd non-Hindus working in the TTD be replaced and that TTD employees who refuse to sport ‘thirunamam’ on their foreheads too be suitably dealt with.
