Chandrababu Naidu request for probe takes wind out of opposition sails

Tirupati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seeking a probe by a sitting High Court judge on Tirumala temple ornaments came as a surprise not only to the opposition parties but also to his own party men.

It was only on Tuesday, the members of TTD Trust board led by its chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav inspected the huge number of jewellery numbering about 1,200 in Tirumala Temple and gave a clean chit to TTD administration by affirming that all the ornaments, including those added in the recent years, the old ones and also other assets in the temple treasury, are intact.

However, in a sudden move, the Chief Minister on Wednesday in a letter, urged Acting Chief Justice of High Court of Hyderabad Ramesh Ranganathan to appoint a sitting High Court judge to verify the records and inspect the jewellery, ornaments and assets and also scrutinise the procedures in vogue for safeguarding the temple jewellery and submit a report to bring to an end the allegations of missing of jewellery in the shrine, giving an unexpected turn to the ongoing controversy which drew nationwide attention.

It all started with Tirumala temple former Pradhana Archaka (chief priest) A V Ramana Deekshitulu at a media conference in Chennai on May 16 alleging serious violations of traditional practices in Sri Venkateswara Temple and corruption.  He also expressed suspicion that some ornaments including valuable blue diamond from the temple treasury was missing. This turned more important by triggering widespread condemnation from devotees and particularly opposition parties against the temple administration forcing the ruling TDP coming to the defence of TTD.

The opposition leaders one after another backed Deekshitulu and hit hard the government for the raw deal meted out to him and vociferously sought a probe into the missing ornaments and also grilled the ruling TDP for hesitating to order a probe into the allegations made by none other than a person who was in a key position as Tirumala temple chief priest for about two decades, putting the TDP government on the backfoot.

The Sangh Pariwar and a group of swamijis also strongly demanded a probe into Deekshitulu’s allegations and were highly critical of TTD and TDP government for launching a misinformation campaign against Deekshitulu for raising his voice against the maladministration of TTD.

Deekshitulu, on his part, saw the heat turned on TTD and government by reiterating his allegations in a no-holds-barrels press conference recently in Hyderabad making the issue a full-blown war between the hereditary temple Archakas and the TTD and the government. 

TTD senior officials, including Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal, joint executive officer (Tirumala) KS Sreenivasa Raju repeatedly  denied allegations and also the host of TTD leader accused Deekshitulu accusing him of misusing his position to amass wealth and crying foul only after the TTD had shown him the door, but they all failed to remove apprehensions on God’s ornaments.

TTD former chief vigilance officer Ramana Kumar going back from his earlier allegation on missing blue diamond also failed quieten the burning issue or the ire of public against the government and TTD shying away from facing a probe.

Against the back drop, Naidu dealt a master stroke by seeking a probe into Tirumala temple jewellery to wash of his government’s hand in the sensitive issue involving the famed Tirumala temple having devotees’ world over and also silence the opposition baying for his blood on the temple issue.

Naidu in his letter stated he was making a request for a probe since the sensitivity of fresh allegations reaching alarming proportions and any justification that all was well either by the TTD or the government is unable to provide any solace to the public at large suffice to indicate on how the opposition and Deekshitulu rattled the government on the issue. Meanwhile, leaders of various parties welcomed Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu seeking a probe by a sitting High Court judge on the Tirumala temple jewellery.

Senior Congress leader and who has taken up various devotees issues, Mangati Gopal Reddy, said that it would help to dispel all the doubts on the safety of Tirumala temple ornaments and also guide the TTD to initiate fool-proof measure to ensure the safe custody of God's jewels.

Rayalaseema Porata Samithi district convener P Naveen Kumar Reddy said that though belated, it is good decision. Had the Chief Minister sought it two moths ago immediately after the temple jewellery missing allegations surfaced, it would have pre-empted the raging controversy and also many cleaning the dirty linen in the public marring the image of TTD, he said.