Amaravati, Sep 27 (PTI) YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said he has indefinitely postponed his planned trip to the Tirupati Lord Venkateshwara Temple, coming in the midst of the Laddu controversy, while Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said no one stopped the opposition leader from visiting the shrine.
Jagan’s decision came amid growing demand by NDA allies in Andhra Pradesh to declare his faith before entering the temple.
Reacting to Reddy’s decision, Naidu, while maintaining that no person is above traditions and customs, also said no one prevented the former CM from going to the temple. All he was asked, was to follow temple rules.
The former CM’s much hyped Tirumala tour was announced as part of the YSRCP’s call for prayers in temples to atone for TDP supremo Naidu’s ‘sin’ through his allegations on the quality of Tirupati laddus.
Addressing a press conference, Jagan said he could not go to Tirupati as his party leaders and workers were issued notices by police warning them not to participate in his temple visit.
Hours after Jagan’s announcement, Naidu in a press conference appealed that every visitor to Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple must follow the rules and refrain from hurting devotees’ sentiments.
According to rules, non-Hindu pilgrims should declare their reverence for Lord Venkateswara to have a darshan of the presiding deity at the hill shrine. They, requesting the temple authority to give permission for admission, should declare their religion on a printed form available at the temple.
Dubbing Chandrababu Naidu’s rule as “Rakshasa Rajyam” (kingdom of demons), Jagan also attacked BJP for turning a blind eye on the laddu issue.
Naidu had last week alleged the use of substandard ghee and presence of animal fat in the famous Tirupati laddus during the previous YSRCP regime.
Jagan reiterated the ghee which was rejected by the TTD on account of quality issues was never used in making the Laddu Prasadam (consecrated food, sweet in this case).
“On one side, all our people are being issued notices threatening that they (police) will file cases. On the other side they are bringing BJP people from the neighbouring state to create a law and order problem and a religious issue to cover up Chandrababu’s misdeed,” he said.
“As a person who respects and loves Venkateswara Swamy, I do not want to go there and divert the topic. So I am postponing my tour,” he said without announcing any fresh date of the visit.
Dismissing Jagan’s allegations, Naidu said he does not know for what reason the opposition leader had to avoid his Tirumala tour.
“He was saying as if he was prevented and issued notices. I am asking you directly–have you been given any notices? Did anybody ask you not to go there?,” the CM asked.
Further, the CM said Jagan’s stand of him having earlier visited the Tirumala shrine by not ‘signing the declaration’ form affirming his faith in the presiding deity does not entitle him to repeat it.
Naidu further said there were reports that YSRCP was spreading information to mobilise people for Jagan’s visit, forcing police to clampdown restrictions.
“Traditions and customs should be respected. No person is greater than the traditions and customs,” he asserte.
Earlier, sources close to Jagan Mohan Reddy said he had cancelled his scheduled Tirumala temple plan.
Reddy said everyone in the country knows his religion and he has visited Tirumala temple several times even before becoming the CM.
“They are saying I cannot go to Tirupati because of my religion. They are asking what my religion is. My religion is humanity. If you want to write it in the declaration, write it,” he said.
He said though he reads the Bible within four walls, he respects Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.
He said TV channels were showing thousands of police personnel being deployed in Tirupati to prevent his leaders from going to the temple.
“In order to divert the failures of his (Chandrababu Naidu) 100 days rule and to divert attention, Chandrababu Naidu brought up the Laddu issue. To cover up his failures on the Laddu issue, he came up with the faith declaration issue. He intentionally planted seeds of doubts on the Laddu quality,” Reddy said.
“I had the opportunity to offer silk robes to Lord Venkateswara Swamy for five years (while as CM). I can understand it. It is not my first time (Tirumala visit),” he said.
According to the earlier itinerary of Reddy’s two-day visit to Tirumala, the former CM was supposed to depart from Gannavaram Airport for Renigunta at 4 pm on Friday and from there to Tirumala and visit the temple on Saturday morning.
NDA constituents–ruling TDP and the BJP have been raising the faith declaration issue, vis-a-vis Jagan over the past two days. PTI STK GDK SA
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