Former Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Hyderabad: As the tensions escalated, YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cancelled his scheduled visit to Tirumala temple. The plan was for him to arrive in Tirumala on Friday evening and offer prayers at the hill shrine on Saturday morning. However, citing politics over his religion, Jagan on Friday announced he is postponing his visit to Tirumala temple.
Amid the Tirupati Laddu row, Jagan had announced his plan to visit the Tirumala temple, which had triggered tension in Andhra Pradesh. Pro-Hindu groups and NDA partners, BJP and TDP, demanded Jagan sign the faith declaration form before going to Tirumala temple.
According to G.O. MS NO. 311 of AP Revenue Endowments--1, Rule No. 16, and TTD general regulations Rule 136, non-Hindus must give a declaration at the Vaikuntam queue complex before darshan in the faith form.
As per these rules, non-Hindu visitors must voluntarily inform the administration about their religion, declare faith in Lord Sri Venkateswara, and seek special permission to enter the temple. As Jagan is a practicing Christian, he was expected to sign the declaration form.
During the YSRCP's tenure between 2019 and 2024, Jagan faced controversy every time he visited the Tirumala temple, as the opposition accused him of never having signed the declaration form.
"What kind of country are we living in? A person visiting the temple needs to disclose his religion before he is permitted to enter the temple.What kind of secularism is this and what kind of secular country we are living in? Idhemi Hinduthvam andi Idekkadi Hindusim andi (What kind of Hindutva and Hinduism is this,?" said Jagan.
“Now they are asking what my religion is. My religion is humanity. Let them write it in whatever declaration form they choose. Inside four walls, I read the Bible. When I step out, I follow and give respect to Hinduism,. Sikhism, and Islam. India is a secular country. When a former chief minister is not allowed into a temple, I can imagine the plight of Dalits. It's not the first time I am visiting Tirumala. I visited Tirumala several times in the past, along with my father, YS Rajasekhar Reddy. In fact, before I started my pada yatra in the past, I visited Tirumala temple. After completing my pada yatra, I climbed the seven hills on foot and offered prayers at Tirumala temple even before going home. Now they are politicising the whole issue and trying to divert attention from the Laddu episode in which N Chandrababu Naidu was caught lying. Not to give them such a chance, I'm postponing my visit to the Tirumala temple," Jagan told reporters in Tadepalli.
He also asked the BJP leadership why they did not admonish their ally, TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu, for using the most sacred Tirumala temple for politics, despite the fact that adulterated ghee was never used to make Tirupati Laddu. He ridiculed how the BJP can be called representatives and champions of Hinduism. Ahead of his visit, tension prevailed in the temple town of Tirupati.
The government imposed restrictions under Section 30 of the Police Act. There was also a large-scale police deployment across Tirupati and Tirumala. YSRCP workers received notices instructing them not to accompany Jagan to the Tirumala temple.
Stating that the Tirumala temple is the largest shrine in the world for the Hindus, the Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, said that the people of Andhra Pradesh are fortunate enough to have such a divine place in the state.
"My government gives the utmost priority to safeguarding the sanctity of the Lord of the Seven Hills and preserving the sentiments of the devotees." Each pilgrim who visits Tirumala for the Darshan of the Lord takes utmost care to follow the conventions and traditions to offer prayers to the Lord," Naidu said on Friday.
Maintaining that each pilgrim has the bounden responsibility to protect the sanctity of this world-famous pilgrim centre, the Chief Minister said and stated that he makes a fervent appeal to every devotee to rigidly follow the temple norms, traditions of the Agama Sastra, and the TTD guidelines. "My sincere request to all pilgrims is that no devotee should act against the sentiments and temple rituals," Naidu said, indirectly hinting at Jagan to adhere to the temple norms and sign the declaration form.