Tirumala-based TTD JEO K.S. Srinivasa Raju on Friday termed the allegations made by the former chief priest A.V. Ramana Dikshitulu as “totally baseless and devoid of any truth”.
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Raju said the management took up repair works in the temple kitchen after obtaining the consent of the temple pontiff and Agama advisors, and lambasted Mr. Dikshitulu for creating confusion among the devotees.
The repair works were carried out in the safety of the ancient temple structure and the potu workers. Even in the past, repair works were carried out twice in 2001 and 2008.
Denying charges with regard to the loss of temple jewellery, Mr. Raju said the temple remained open for the devout for more than twenty two and half hours a day.
While so, how can anybody tamper with the jewellery, which he said is being periodically verified in the presence of the officials. The inventory of the jewels was being done in a systematic way and the details of the entire process are entered in the Thiruvabharanam register maintained by the temple officials.
He brushed aside the allegations of any kind of violations in the performance of the rituals inside the temple as well as the alleged intervention of the officials, and wondered as to what Mr. Dikshitulu achieved by levelling unfounded allegations against the authorities.
Detailing his own experience wherein he was subjected to undue insults and humiliations during his seven-year-long stint, he appealed to him to put an end to the mud-slinging sensing the vast sentiments being attached by the multitude of the devotees.