Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu sparked controversy by stating that only Hindus should work in the Venkateswara Swamy temple.
He, further, added that if there were any Christians or people of other faiths employed in the temple, they would be respectfully relocated to other positions without hurting their sentiments.
Naidu also expressed that if Christian or Muslim institutions do not allow Hindus to work in their organisations, the government would take steps to respect their wishes. He further announced the cancellation of the allotment of 35 acres of land in Tirupati, which had been designated for Devalok, MRKR, and Mumtaz Hotel projects, to protect the sanctity of the area. Naidu condemned the previous YSR Congress Party government for approving these allotments.
This move came after a recent protest by Hindu religious leaders, who demanded that the TDP-led coalition government stop the construction of hotels and other projects that could harm the sanctity of Tirumala.
Also read: Centre reviews Tirupati temple’s no-fly zone request
The Chief Minister also revealed plans to build Venkateswara Swamy temples in all state capitals across the country. Naidu said he would write to the chief ministers of all states to seek their cooperation for the construction of these temples. He shared these updates after a meeting with board members and officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) following a visit to the temple with his family on the occasion of his grandson Devansh’s birthday.
Naidu urged TTD officials and employees to go further in protecting the temple’s sanctity and to ensure no sacrilegious activities occurred. He stressed that the seven hills belong to Venkateswara Swamy, and their sanctity must be upheld. Naidu made it clear that the commercialisation of Tirumala would not be tolerated.
He also announced plans to form a trust to build Venkateswara Swamy temples in villages across the state and protect the properties of the Tirumala temple globally. The CM highlighted the large number of devotees abroad who wish to establish temples for the deity.
Earlier, Naidu and his family worshipped at the temple and sponsored a day's 'Anna Prasadam' (meals for devotees) in Devansh's name. They personally served food to the devotees, recalling that former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao had initiated the 'Anna Danam' programme, which has grown into a ₹2,200 crore corpus fund through donations.
Follow us
