The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed notices to the Andhra Pradesh government and Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) over a petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the income and expenditure of the temple board. The court also instructed the AP government and the TTD board to file counter-affidavits. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi heard the petition and posted the matter for July 24.
The bench also directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to file counter-affidavit over the petitioners’ prayer that the TTD and its group of temples at Tirumala be declared protected monuments. The petition was filed by two persons, B. Anil Kumar of Guntur and Bhupendra K. Goswami of Gujarat.
The petitioners submitted that recent ‘revelation of certain facts’ by former Tirumala temple Pradhana Archaka Ramana Deekshithulu at a series of press conferences affected the sentiments of devotees. “Several devotees expressed anguish and dismay at the exercises undertaken by TTD board without Agama advisors,” they said in the petition.
The petitioners described the actions of the AP government and TTD in “interfering in integral part of religion in the guise of conducting secular activity in TTD” as a constitutional violation. They demanded that a committee be appointed to look into the hidden treasures in the ‘Nelamaligalu’ (underground stretches).
They also pleaded with the HC that a commissioner be appointed to take stock of the Nelamaligalu and ensure conduct of religious practices as per Agama Sastras till the matter was finalised.
The petitioners said they learnt that the entire brick lining of the inner walls and stone slabs of the kitchen floor were removed. According to them, the kitchen was closed from December 8 to December 30 last year. Replacement of the brick layer and stone slabs was done from December 20 to 30.
In the process, many age-old inscriptions in the kitchen got damaged, which was an intrusion into the the religious sentiments of devotees, they said in the petition. Even taking out the ancient jewellery of Lord Venkateswara donated by various dynasties to make an inventory was a violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act-1958, they submitted.
