Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas, lashed out at former Union Minister and TDP leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju, here on Thursday.
He was speaking to the media after visiting the temple of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam, here, along with his family on Thursday.
The Minister said that at a time when the public, archakas and temple staff were seeking a solution to the ‘panchagramala land issue’, the hereditary trustee Ashok Gajapathi Raju alone was indulging in double standards on the issue. He sought to know whether Mr. Ashok was interested in a solution to the problem or not.
Alleging that Mr. Ashok was acting on the directions of TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Minister said a solution to the land issue would not only benefit all the aggrieved parties but also earn revenue for the temple. Refuting the allegations of Mr. Ashok, he said that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government has not taken a single paisa from the Endowments Department and the former Union Minister should have known that it was not possible to divert funds from the department to the ‘Vahan Mitra’ scheme.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that Mr. Ashok was unable to tolerate his elder brother Anand Gajapathi Raju’s daughter Sanchaitha Gajapathi as chairperson of the Simhachalam temple Trust Board and was politicising the issue.
Mr. Ashok was reinstated as chairperson of the Simhachalam Trust Board, by the AP High Court, a couple of days ago.
Earlier, the minister was received by Executive Officer MV Suryakala, officials and members of the temple Trust Board. After darshan of the deity, he visited the ‘kalyana mandap’ and appreciated sculptures on the pillars of the ancient hall, which were spruced up as part of the renovation work done recently.
