Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu said that a human will always remain a human and can never become a god. It is wrong to presume that he is above or equal to the Almighty or himself is a god.
His statement assumes significance in the backdrop of the former Tirumala chief priest A.V. Ramana Deekshitulu purportedly characterising Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as another incarnation of Lord Maha Vishnu, a couple of days back at Tadepalli near Vijayawada.
In another apparent dig at Mr. Deekshitulu, he said it was unfortunate to reinstate a person who had levelled baseless allegations with regard to the loss of pink diamond.
Speaking to the media here on Thursday, he said that such acts deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees associated with the Tirumala deity.
Striking a nostalgic chord, he said it was only by the grace of Lord Venkateswara that he could survive the Alipiri bomb blast in 2003. The renowned shrine is a priceless asset to the State and the onus of protecting its sanctity rests on every individual.
Taking everyone by surprise, Mr. Naidu also rolled down the congested lanes of Balaji Nagar where the displaced families are rehabilitated and also visited the houses of a couple of party workers.
Even though he had visited the town several times earlier in various capacities, this is his second visit to the residential locality.
Earlier, Mr. Naidu accompanied by party State unit president K. Atchannaidu, party candidate for Tirupati bypoll Panabaka Lakshmi and other leaders offered prayers at the hill temple.
Later, he left for Sri Kalahasti to take part in the election campaigning.