Jagan should sign declaration before entering Tirumala temple, demand political, spiritual leaders

No need to give any declaration, govt. is scared of YSRCP chief’s visit, says former TTD chief Bhumana Karunakar Reddy

Leaders of various political parties and spiritual organisations demanded that YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy should give the mandatory declaration before entering the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala as part of his scheduled visit to the temple town on Friday (September 27, 2024).

Mr. Jagan, however, later cancelled his visit to the temple town.

At a meeting held earlier on Friday, Swamy Srinivasananda Saraswati insisted that any non-Hindu should sign the declaration, as per practice. “When the former President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had no problem in signing the form declaring his faith on Lord Venkateswara, why should Jagan Mohan Reddy hesitate?” he wondered.

Echoing the view, Jana Sena Party (JSP) Tirupati Assembly constituency in-charge K. Kiran Rayal said the party would go to any extent to prevent Mr. Jagan from ‘committing yet another sacrilege’.

BJP State committee member K. Ajay Kumar questioned Mr. Jagan’s ‘real intention’ behind his Tirumala tour and cautioned him not to trigger tension for his own political mileage.

TDP Tirupati parliamentary constituency in-charge and Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) former Chairman G. Narasimha Yadav dubbed the visit as nothing but a ‘show of strength’. “We have information that the YSRCP has mobilised its men near the Renigunta airport and also at Daminedu on the way to Tirupati. If it is for a show of strength, then we too can do the same,” he said.

Bhumana’s counter

Meanwhile, Tirupati former MLA and former TTD trust board Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy insisted that Mr. Jagan need not sign any declaration for visiting the Tirumala shrine.

Addressing the media, he recalled that Mr. Jagan had not signed any declaration in the past, even as the Chief Minister. “The BJP thinks only its leaders and followers are Hindus. The way the State is mobilising police forces and the so-called Hindu leaders clearly shows it is scared,” he said, adding that any attempt to prevent Mr. Jagan from visiting the Tirumala shrine would lead to the ‘downfall’ of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s regime.

Police serve notices

In this backdrop, the Police Department had served notices late on Thursday to YSRCP leaders in Tirupati, Annamayya, Kadapa and other adjoining districts, warning them not to embark on any travel to join Mr. Jagan’s tour of Tirumala.

The notice said: ‘‘In view of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s ‘Papa Prakshalana Yatra’ (tour for atonement of sin) to Tirumala, you are hereby cautioned not to act in any manner that can add to the confusion. We are serving this notice to warn you not to participate in any anti-social activity that may escalate tensions.”

Published - September 27, 2024 08:23 pm IST