The BJP’s Andhra Pradesh State spokesperson, Bhanuprakash Reddy, accused the former Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy of treating Tirumala as his own estate. He claimed that the government appointed 81 trustees for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), many of whom have criminal records and serious cases against them. There are also concerns about transferring funds from temples to local governing bodies.
Reddy alleged that the former TTD chairman, Karunakar Reddy, took commissions for engineering work, and there were attempts to transfer funds from TTD to the Municipal Corporation. The AP State Vigilance is currently investigating these allegations of corruption and fund diversion during the last five years.
The BJP criticized the previous YCP government for allegedly looting the treasury of Lord Venkateswara, the deity of Tirumala. Recent elections have shown that the government’s actions have hurt the sentiments of devotees.
