Jagan develops cold feet

Vijayawada: YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday cancelled his planned trip to Tirumala amid growing demand by the NDA allies in Andhra Pradesh to sign a declaration that he believes in Lord Venkateswara.

His much-hyped Tirumala tour was announced as part of YSRCP's call for prayers in temples to atone for TDP supremo and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu 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 the police warning them not to participate in his temple visit. Hours before Jagan's tour, Naidu appealed that every visitor to deity Sri Venkateswara Swamy must follow the rules and refrain from hurting devotees' sentiments.

According to the TTD Act, foreigners and non-Hindus should declare their reverence for Lord Venkateswara to have a darshan of the presiding deity at the hill shrine. Even the former President of India Abdul Kalam and former AICC president Sonia Gandhi had signed the declaration.

Dubbing Chandrababu Naidu's rule as "Rakshasa Rajyam" (kingdom of demons), Jagan also attacked the BJP for turning a blind eye on the laddu issue. He reiterated that the ghee which was rejected by the TTD on the account of quality issues was never used in making the Laddu Prasadam.Chandrababu Naidu

“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 misdeeds,” the YSRCP chief 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 visit. He said everyone knows what his religion is. He said he had visited the temple about four or five times in the past.

He said though he reads the Bible within four walls, he respects Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. TV channels were showing that thousands of police personnel were deployed in Tirupati to prevent party leaders from going to the temple.

“In order to divert the failures of his (Chandrababu Naidu) 100 days rule 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,” Jagan 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.

In the meantime, the TTD had set up notice boards in Tirumala that it was mandatory for anyone who is not a Hindu or follows another religion to sign the document before being permitted to enter the temple.