When Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams filed a defamation case against former head priest A V Ramana Deekshitulu and YSR Congress party general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy in October 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party raised a lot of hue and cry.
The case was filed by then TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal claiming Rs 100 crore each from Deekshitulu and Sai Reddy as damages for alleging that then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had looted god’s wealth worth thousands of crores, including a blue diamond from the god’s ornaments.
The TTD deposited Rs 2 crore in the 10th additional district sessions judge court while filing the civil defamation case for Rs 200 crore as damages.
The BJP then attacked the TTD for filing defamation cases against Deekshitulu and Sai Reddy stating that it was tantamount to misuse of the devotees’ money.
The BJP sought to know whose reputation was damaged – whether it was that of Lord Venkateshwara or the TTD officials.
It charging the TTD officials with resorting to legal course only to please their political bosses (Naidu), despite knowing that it was a costly affair and time taking.
Now the same BJP leaders are finding fault with the TTD for withdrawing the defamation case against Deekshitulu and Sai Reddy. The TTD filed a petition to this effect in the court, which adjourned the hearing to November 2.
The court asked Telangana Hindu Jana Sakthi, which impleaded in the case, to file its counter by then. It has strongly opposed withdrawal of case against Deekshitulu and Sai Reddy.
“On whose instruction did the TTD take a decision to drop the cases? What is the difference between the TTD authorities then and now?” BJP leader Bhanuprakash Reddy asked.
He alleged that Ramana Deekshitulu had made wild allegations against the Tirumala temple those days.
“He had even called upon the devotees not to drop money in Srivari Hundi. Why was he taken back into the TTD as honorary head priest?” Bhanuprakash asked and appealed to the government not to use the TTD to settle political scores.
