VHP Urges Governor To Protect Sanctity Of TTD

Alleging that the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government of Andhra Pradesh was hurting the religious and spiritual sentiments of the Hindu society in handling Tirupati, the Viswa Hndu Parishad (VHP) urged Governor E S L Narasimhan to safeguard the sanctity of the TTD and remove Putta Sudhakar as the TTD Board Chairman and Srinivas Raju as JEO.

In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, the VHP raised various issues related to Tirumala and the TTD.

The VHP questioned the appointment of Sudhakar as Chairman of the TTD and Payakaraopeta MLA V Anitha as a member. Both the appointments had been staunchly and unequivocally opposed by the devout, the organization claimed. However, the government rescinded only the decision to appoint Anitha, while Putta Sudhakar was being allowed to continue, it said.

Sudhakar, during his tenure as a TTD board member earlier, had attended the religious congregations of non-Hindus and religious conversion meetings. He himself had admitted to that, the VHP claimed. In addition, after being appointed as the Chairman, Sudhakar promised to protect the jobs of non-Hindu employees who had gotten the jobs illegally. What he had done went against the oath he took in front of Lord Venkateswara, and the spirit of the TTD Act and the AP Endowment Act, the VHP said.

Reports suggested that there were around 1,500 non-Hindus working in the TTD in clear contravention of the rules, the body claimed. Some officials had been caught while going to churches. The TTD had identified 40 such non-Hindu employees and had served notices to them. However, with the state government failing to project the facts, the High Court had issued a stay on their removal, the VHP said.

"We request you to use your good offices to ensure that proper legal measures are initiated to remove these non-Hindus from the TTD," it asked the Governor.

The VHP also demanded the removal of JEO K S Srinivasa Raju (IAS) who had been serving as the JEO of the TTD since 2011. Despite allegations of his role in several scams in the TTD, he was being allowed to continue in the post for seven years, the body complained.

The Governor promised the delegation that he would take all possible actions to preserve the sanctity of the TTD.

Earlier, the VHP organized a Chalo Raj Bhavan rally from Prasads multiplex to Raj Bhavan.