The decision of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board to withdraw the defamation case filed during the TDP term against YSRCP Member of Parliament V. Vijaya Sai Reddy and former chief priest A.V. Ramana Deekshitulu has triggered widespread criticism, besides raising question marks over the use of temple funds by the parties to settle political scores.
The TDP government had faced a rough weather in the run-up to the 2019 elections with several issues pertaining to the Tirumala temple taking the centre stage.
‘Missing pink diamond’
The political heat had turned intense with the YSRCP highlighting two major allegations levelled in 2018 by Mr. Deekshitulu — a ‘pink diamond’ going missing from the temple treasury and an attempt to excavate the temple, allegedly with an eye on the ‘hidden treasure’.
Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy had even accused then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of taking away the ‘pink diamond’ and demanded a search of his house.
Terming the campaign “mischievous and malicious,” the TTD board, led by Putta Sudhakar Yadav, filed defamation cases against Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy and Mr. Deekshitulu for ₹100 crore each.
After the change of guard, the incumbent board, led by Y.V. Subba Reddy, recently resolved to file an appeal in the court for withdrawing the case.
‘Pay up court fee’
The board’s decision came in for widespread criticism.
BJP State spokesperson G. Bhanuprakash Reddy flayed the TDP and the YSRC for “turning the board into a sanctuary for party leaders and making it a platform to settle political scores.”
“Who will take responsibility for the loss of ₹2 crore paid as court fee?” he sought to know at a media conference on Wednesday.
Members of both the TTD boards should volunteer to pay up the amount to the TTD exchequer, he insisted.
Chittoor district Congress leader P. Naveen Kumar Reddy wondered whether there really existed a ‘pink diamond’ as was alleged by Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy and Mr. Deekshitulu.
“If not, the two should admit in public that they had blatantly lied for political gain,” he demanded. Mr. Naveen Kumar Reddy also flayed the bureaucrats at the helm for trying to save politicians.
