In September, amidst outrage over allegations of Tirumala laddu adulteration with animal fat, Jana Sena Party president and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan undertook an 11-day “Prayaschitta Deeksha” (penance for atonement).
Donning saffron attire, he renounced all luxuries starting September 22. Pawan began the deeksha at the Sri Dashavatara Venkateswara Swamy temple in Nambur, Guntur district, as an act of atonement for the alleged desecration of the Tirumala laddu prasadam.
Pawan Kalyan stated that the ritual was his way of seeking forgiveness and rectifying the wrongs committed against the temple's presiding deity. At the conclusion of the 11-day vow, he visited Tirumala to offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara.
However, following the recent tragedy in Tirupati, where six people lost their lives in a stampede during the distribution of Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan tickets, the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) raised questions about Pawan Kalyan’s response.
“Why has Pawan Kalyan not taken up a deeksha now?” asked senior YSRCP leader and former minister Botsa Satyanarayana.
Criticizing Pawan Kalyan’s approach, Botsa remarked, “Pawan Kalyan washed away his sins by issuing a public apology to the families of the stampede victims. But we wonder, will his apology bring back the lives of the devotees who tragically lost their lives?”
Botsa demanded that Pawan Kalyan clarify if and when he would undertake a penance vow for this incident. Referring to the earlier Tirumala laddu issue, he criticized Pawan for creating a stir in the name of penance at that time but now merely offering an apology and moving on.
The YSRCP leader also alleged that Pawan Kalyan had advised the TTD chairman and executive officer to hold a press conference to issue an apology.
“Will such an apology absolve them of their sins or bring back the deceased devotees?” Botsa questioned.
Botsa further argued that even if the Tirumala laddus were not adulterated, the earlier commotion over penance was unwarranted. He emphasized that an apology following the loss of six lives cannot erase the responsibility for the tragedy.
On the stampede incident, Botsa contended that suspending officials alone would not deliver justice to the victims. He called on the Andhra Pradesh High Court to take suo motu cognizance of the case and initiate an inquiry with a sitting judge.
He appealed to the Chief Justice of the High Court to consider media reports and take the incident up as a suo motu case.
