TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday urged the State government to stop interfering in the affairs of the Simhachalam temple management and MANSAS Trust.
Mr. Naidu made this comment while referring to the Supreme Court judgment that upheld the rights of the erstwhile Travancore royal family in running the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala. The TDP chief said the ‘landmark judgment’ of the apex court also protected the ‘sanctity of the prior agreements and traditions of the royal families in managing trusts’. The government should not meddle in the affairs of MANSAS Trust and protect the rights of the Pusapati family, the Vizianagaram royals, as custodians, he said.
‘Dirty politics’
“AP gov(t) must take note of this development & stop interfering with the mgmt of Simhachalam Board & MANSAS trust to attain their evil goals. Gajapathi family’s rights as custodians must be protected. @ysjagan must not meddle with God & family-run trusts to play dirty politics,” Ms. Naidu posted on his Twitter handle.
In March this year, the State government appointed P. Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju, daughter of P. Ananda Gajapathi Raju, as the chairperson of the Simhachalam Devasthanam and MANSA Trust, by removing former Union Minister and TDP leader P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
Mr. Ashok Gajapathi Raju was serving as the chairman of the Simhachalam temple and MANSAS Trust since the death of his elder brother P. Ananda Gajapathi Raju, who headed the trust between 1994 and 2016.
