Face-off between Tirumala head priest and temple administration

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, May 17

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Trouble is brewing at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, the country’s richest temple, following a face-off between its chief priest and the temple authorities over allegations of corruption and inefficiency in the temple administration.

A day after the chief priest AV Ramana Deekshitulu appeared before the media in Chennai and made startling allegations of corruption against the officials, the temple board enforced retirement on all Archakas (priests) who had crossed 65 years of age. As a result, three priests, including the outspoken chief priest, will retire from the temple services.

The newly-constituted Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the affairs of the hill shrine, held its first meeting at Tirumala on Wednesday and took the decision.

“Following this decision, chief priest Ramana Deekshitulu and three other priests — Narasimha Deekshitulu, Srinivasa Murthy Deekshitulu and Narayana Deekshitulu — will have to retire from service,” the TTD chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav said.

The temple board also appointed four other Archakas from the families of Mirasidars (hereditary priests).

The swift action comes in the wake of Deekshitulu’s allegation that the administrators were siphoning off the temple money and undermining the sanctity of the shrine, which attracts lakhs of devotees every day. He demanded an open audit into the donations being received by the temple and expenditure being incurred by the TTD.

The chief priest also demanded that the authorities maintain transparency with regard to donations and jewellery and also to bring the TTD under the purview of the Right to Information Act.

“We have submitted a representation to the Chief Justice of India, President, Prime Minister and CM of Andhra Pradesh, demanding transparency,” he said.

Accusing the TTD authorities of damaging the ancient structure in the name of beautification and for building special lines for VVIPs, he demanded that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should assess the damage to the structure.

The face-off acquired political overtones with the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) wading into the row on Thursday and alleging that Deekshitulu was being used as a “pawn” by the Central Government to “take over” the temple.

“Powerful forces in Delhi are behind Deekshitulu’s corruption allegations,” said Vemuri Ananda Surya, the TDP leader and chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Parishad.

The TDP had pulled out of the BJP-led NDA in March following denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

While Deekshitulu accused the temple board of taking a “political decision” to enforce retirement on senior priests, the TDP leader wondered why the chief priest was suddenly making allegations against temple authorities after keeping silent for years.

“Why did he go to Chennai and address a press conference arranged by BJP leaders? What was the hidden agenda in speaking against the TTD only after the constitution of the new trust board? Has he found irregularities only in the last four years of TDP rule?” he asked.

The TDP leader alleged that Deekshitulu’s allegations were part of the BJP’s attempt to gain control over the institution. “It recently tried to bring the Tirumala temple under the purview of Archaeological Survey of India, but backtracked fearing a reprisal from devotees,” he said.

Meanwhile, responding to Deekshitulu’s allegations, the TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal said the trust board had decided to serve a show cause notice on the chief priest seeking his explanation for his alleged derogatory remarks on the temple administration.