In a series of controversial decisions, the revered Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has once again become a battleground for Hindu sentiments, with repeated instances of non-Hindus being appointed to its top administrative positions, particularly Crypto Christians. This report delves into six such incidents, exposing how political interference has eroded the sanctity of one of the most sacred Hindu institutions, with many alleging this as an orchestrated attempt to demoralise the faith and its followers.
1. Crypto-Christian Chairman Appointed
On August 5, 2023, Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy was re-appointed as the Chairman of TTD. While Reddy, a Congress appointee during YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s regime, claims to be Hindu, many point out his ties to Christianity. His association with the Christian faith has become a matter of concern, with a viral video showing YS Jagan Reddy’s mother declaring, “We are a Christian family. We go to temples only for Hindu votes.”
#Christian Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has been appointed for #TTD Chairman for 2nd time, His daughter marriage was conducted as per the Christian tradition in the presence of the pastors with their prayer.
1st time apptt was by Jagan's father.
Welcome to #Secular India.
🤦 pic.twitter.com/cdKRCF3XGN— Ratan Sharda 🇮🇳 रतन शारदा (@RatanSharda55) August 5, 2023
We are a Christian family.We go to temples only for Hindu votes..!
– Jagan’s Mother#TirumalaLaddu #JaganMadeDisaster pic.twitter.com/LitcCFggWO— Lɪᴋʜɪᴛᴇsʜ Cʜᴏᴡᴅᴀʀʏ ☄ (@LikhiteshChow) September 19, 2024
2. Christian Teachers in TTD Schools
In January 2023, three Christian teachers were appointed to the TTD-run Sri Venkateswara Higher Secondary School in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The appointments, made by the State School Education Department, further fuel concerns over the growing encroachment of non-Hindus into Hindu institutions.
3. Crypto-Christian Employee Found Guilty
A July 2020 revelation found that A. Rajasekhar Rao, an Assistant Executive Officer in the TTD’s Hundi counting department, had secretly been practicing Christianity. Despite being officially registered as Hindu, Rao was caught attending church services, raising doubts about the integrity of TTD’s staff screening processes.
#Tirupati employee Rajasekhar babu #hundi collection officer , AEO Asst Exec officer offering prayer to #Jesus.🙏 . #TDTT is supposed to employ ONLY #HINDUS. Christian Employees r working in Tirupati Lord Balaji Temple. Why Jagan is not removing them? #SaveHindusFromJaganReddy pic.twitter.com/QV6OgILc3L
— Oxomiya Jiyori 🇮🇳 (@SouleFacts) November 17, 2019
4. 44 Non-Hindu Staff in TTD
In January 2018, a shocking audit revealed that 44 TTD employees, mostly Christians, were serving in various capacities. Many of these individuals were appointed between 1989 and 2007, suggesting a long-term trend of political maneuvering to appoint non-Hindus in TTD’s sacred precincts.
🚩तिरुपति बालाजी मंदिर🚩 में काम पर केवल हिंदुओं को रखने का नियम है,लेकिन एक वीडियो वायरल हुआ जिसमें यहां तैनात एक महिला कर्मचारी को स्थानीय चर्च में प्रार्थना करते हुए दिखाया गया।जांच से पता चला कि मंदिर में एक-दो नहीं बल्कि 44 गैर हिंदू कर्मचारी तैनात है,अब उनको हटाया जाएगा। pic.twitter.com/zENYLHlx3X
— Nita Doshi (@Rashtra_Sevika_) January 7, 2018
5. Christian MLA on TTD Trust Board
In 2018, Payakaraopet legislator Vangalapudi Anita, a self-declared Christian, was controversially appointed to the TTD Trust Board. Her open admission of being a devout Christian while serving on a Hindu religious board raised questions about the sincerity of her appointment and the government’s motives.
MLA Anitha is openly admitting that she is a Christian. AP govt. appointed her as TTD (Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam) board member. Friends! Let’s all request & pray to AP govt to take appropriate action on this. #CleanupTTDboard #Tirumala #Tirupati #HinduReligion pic.twitter.com/Xw8P8GifgS
— Madhura Sreedhar Reddy (@madhurasreedhar) April 21, 2018
6. TTD Officer Using Official Car to Visit Church
In December 2017, TTD’s Deputy Executive Officer, Ms. Snehalatha, was found using an official vehicle to visit a Christian Lutheran Church regularly. Snehalatha’s disdain for Hindu customs—she reportedly refused to take ‘Prasadam’—has left many devotees outraged.
She is Dy.EO in TTD welfare Dept but a practicing Christian? Shameful! Pl take action @ncbn @AP_BJP_IT_Cell pic.twitter.com/BUoDd6diuA
— Surya Ramadoss (@Surya0407) December 8, 2017
@ncbn @naralokesh I dont want subsidy rice,lpg, pension,health insurance, subsidy house etc.,
Just save Hindus from evangelists. Stop using TTD as a milch cow to dispense favours to your party men 🙏🙏 https://t.co/xu8jluBb3Y— DharmaRakshak (@oldhandhyd) December 7, 2017
A Pattern of Disrespect
These incidents are not isolated. They reflect a deeper agenda to undermine Hindu faith by politicizing one of its most revered institutions. Appointments like these not only hurt Hindu sentiments but also raise serious concerns about the integrity of political leaders who treat religion as a tool for vote bank politics.
TTD is not just an administrative body, it is the custodian of faith. Politicians, blinded by their agendas, seem to disregard the spiritual significance of these temples, treating them as mere assets to be managed. These instances of non-Hindu appointments in TTD smack of blatant disrespect for Hindu sentiments, contributing to a growing sense of disenfranchisement among its devotees. It is high time that the politicization of Hindu temples stops, and the sanctity of these revered institutions is restored.
