Amaravati: Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday demanded that the newly-constituted Board of Trustees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams be abolished forthwith as “vested interests” were brazenly apparent in its appointment.
The YSR Congress government turned the holy place into a commercial entity, he alleged and warned that those trying to damage the sanctity of Venkateswara Swamy would pay a price.
Rather than honouring the devotees’ sentiments, the government hurt them by appointing a 81-member Board, including 52 special invitees, Chandrababu said in a letter to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
“A Board that should have been constituted with devout and service-oriented people has been filled with industrialists, criminals, the corrupt and malicious persons. It is reprehensible that a jumbo Board with 81 members has been constituted, which is unprecedented. The TDP strongly condemns it,” Chandrababu said.
The Leader of the Opposition charged that the new Board was established in a manner that not only hurt the sentiments of crores of devotees, but also established that only political and business interests were involved.
“The TTD Board has been turned into a rehabilitation centre for the politically-unemployed,” he lashed out.
BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao too came down heavily on the Jagan government on the TTD Board issue and questioned the motive behind nominating 52 special invitees.
“The Jagan government is treating TTD as a platform for its politics and distribution of posts. The government should desist from such things,” the MP said.
He said a Trust Board within the ambit of law would suffice and there was no need for a jumbo body with more than 50 special invitees.