TTD slaps legal notices on former chief priest, YSRC MP

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has served legal notices on former chief priest Ramana Deekhsitulu and YSR Congress party MP Vijay Sai Reddy for making “baseless” allegations against the temple administration.

The TTD, which manages the affairs of the Tirumala temple, while seeking proofs of their allegations has warned legal action if they fail to do so. The notices were sent by post.

The action came after Ramana alleged that valuable jewellery of the presiding deity was missing. Reddy had charged that missing jewellery and wealth dug out from an underground vault near temple kitchen were sent to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s residence. Reddy wanted the CBI to raid Naidu’s house to verify the facts.

Meanwhile, present chief priest Venugopala Deekhsitulu moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday, with a caveat petition seeking protection from the allegations of Ramana who has said that precious jewellery of the main deity was missing from the temple repository. The chief priest’s move came after reports that Ramana will move the apex court against the TTD.

The tirade against the TTD began on May 15 when the then chief priest Ramana addressed a press conference in Chennai and blamed the TTD of mismanagement. Within days the TTD sacked three top priests including Ramana by implementing the 65 year age limit.

Within days, the YSRCP Rajya Sabha member sought the CBI enquiry against Naidu, charging that he was behind the missing jewellery. TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal, on the other hand, came forward to exhibit the entire jewellery if the Agama Mandali permits. He clarified that different committees have cleared the 1,952 list of jewellery either purchased or gifted for the deity.

On Wednesday, Reddy said that he has not received the TTD notice and he reiterated his charges against Naidu. “The TTD can’t ask me to give evidence to them as my complaint was very much against them. I will only show the evidence to the CBI,” he said.

He wanted Naidu to answer 14 questions he had raised against the TTD.