Tirupati: BJP to press for judicial inquiry

Tirupati: The state government's recent appointment of 'custodian' to administer Swamy Hathiramji Math after sacking Mahanth Arjun Das is snowballing into a controversy with various political parties opposing it. They view the change as part of a larger conspiracy hatched with the blessings of ruling YSRCP bigwigs to knock away thousands of crore worth properties more so vacant lands and to save those who were able to purchase or illegally occupy the Math lands.

The government on January 28 issued orders suspending Mahanth Arjun Das on serious charges of mismanagement and misappropriation of Math properties and appointed Srikalahasthi temple EO as 'custodian' which stirred the hornets net.

Reacting to the media reports following the change in Math administration, alleging motives behind the change of guard of Sri Hathiramji Math, endowments department here clarified that Mahant Arjun Das was removed solely after finding that he sold away 55 acre valuable land in Avilla village on the outskirts of Tirupati for a throw away price of Rs 16 crore and also extending lease period and also leasing out many lands without government approval. Any sale of Math or temple properties should get prior permission of AP High Court, the clarification issued by endowments assistant commissioner said.

However, the clarification did not cut ice with political parties terming it an eye wash. Speaking to media here on Sunday BJP state secretaries B Bhanu Prakash Reddy and S Srinivas demanded a judicial enquiry by a sitting high court judge to unearth the whole fraud in the Math administration going on since 30-40 years depriving the Hindu religious institution of its few thousand crore worth lands. Many leaders of both ruling and also opposition parties including MLAs were among those occupied the lands under benami names, they said stressing that a judicial probe alone could dig out the multi-crore irregularities in the Math.

The BJP leaders also demanded handing over the Math management immediately to TTD and appoint its executive as Custodian to ensure better administration of Math and also protect lands, immovable properties and also vital records from being tampered or stolen. They said the party through state president Kanna Lakshminarayana sought appointment of Governor to meet him to press for the judicial probe and to hand over the Math to TTD.