Bharatiya Janata Party has lashed out at YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy for resorting to what it termed as ‘sacrilegious acts’ at the holy shrine of Lord Venkateswara.
Referring to the controversies that marked Jagan’s recent visit to Tirumala, party State spokesperson G. Bhanuprakash Reddy said it was unfortunate for the holy abode to witness such unpleasant incidents time and again and advised prominent personalities to steer clear of controversies. “We wish to remind Jagan that it is not his party office or Idupulapaya estate where he can behave the way he wants,” he said, disapproving of his reported act of walking with footwear up to the queue line. The indiscriminate blaring of horns, mobbing of his security men and around 300 of his followers gaining entry into the temple by force not only scared the devotees, but also vitiated the serene atmosphere at the temple, he charged. The party also took exception to Jagan not signing the declaration form meant for people of other faiths to indicate their belief in Lord Venkateswara.
“Though Sri Venkateswara is the ‘God of All’ (Andarivaadu), there are some established norms that ought to be followed. Ms. Vijayamma carries the Bible everywhere, but Jagan does not sign the declaration at Tirumala, saying there is no necessity. How does he explain it?” he questioned. He said that the occurrence of the incident in the very presence of B. Karunakar Reddy and Ch. Bhaskar Reddy, the ex-Chairman and the former ex-officio member respectively of the TTD trust board, was even more painful. He also flayed the TTD officials for succumbing to pressure and extending a welcome to Jagan that was grossly disproportionate to his protocol status.
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The BJP demanded an open apology from Jagan for hurting the sentiments of Hindus and announced that it would lodge a complaint with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to get an enquiry conducted into the episode.