Political temperatures soar as Jagan plans to visit Tirumala shrine; NDA asks him to declare faith

Amaravati: YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's planned visit to Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala to offer prayers on Saturday is likely to raise political temperatures in Andhra Pradesh. The ruling NDA has demanded that the former Chief Minister should declare his faith before entering the hill shrine.

According to the rules, foreigners, and non-Hindus should declare their reverence for Lord Venkateswara to have a darshan of the presiding deity at the hill shrine.

Jagan had said he would visit the temple as part of the statewide temple rituals called for by the party to atone for the 'sin' allegedly committed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu through his allegations on Tirupati laddus.

Jagan will be on a two-day visit to Tirumala. He will reach Renigunta at 4 pm on Friday. From there, he will proceed to Tirumala, where he is expected to reach by 7 PM and stay overnight. At 10:20 am on Saturday, the opposition leader will leave the guest house to pray to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.

His appeal comes days after Naidu alleged that the previous YSRCP government used substandard ingredients and animal fat to make the laddus at Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. The allegations sparked a massive controversy across the country.

Responding to Reddy's announcement on the temple visit, AP BJP chief D Purandeswari had raked up the issue. In a post on X, she wrote, "We are given to understand that Jagan Mohan Reddy intends to visit Tirumala on the 28th of this month. Declining one's faith has been in vogue for decades in Tirumala. As per G.O. MS NO- 311 of AP Revenue Endowments--1, Rule no 16, Non-Hindus must give a declaration at the Vaikuntam queue complex before darshan in the faith form. This is also as per TTD general regulations Rule 136," Purandeswari wrote in a post.

Also, TDP spokesperson Jyoshna Tirunagari said Reddy will not be allowed to visit the deity if he does not sign the declaration that he has faith in Sri Venkateswara. "Any non-Hindu who enters Tirumala has to sign the declaration at Vaikuntam complex and then only they (he or she) should go or else they should not enter Tirumala, " she said.

She highlighted that eminent personalities such as former President Abdul Kalam and ex-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had also given that declaration, and alleged that the YSRCP chief is planning his visit to Tirumala to politicize the issue.

Further, the TDP leader observed that the declaration is mandatory and that nobody is above God.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Telagana BJP leader K Madhavi Latha, undertook a 'prayaschitta yatra' (penance) to Tirupati to seek apologies from God for the impurities allegedly found in the 'laddu prasadam'. Madhavi Latha, who reached Tirupati on a Vande Bharat Express, sang bhajans on the train during her journey.

She alleged that the undertaking to be given by non-Hindus when they visit Tirumala hills for darshan that he/she believes in Lord Venkateswara was done away with during the YSR Congress regime.

Opposing former Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy's visit to Tirumala hills, she said it doesn't matter whether such a person, during whose regime the system of undertaking was done away with, gave undertaking or not.

On Jagan's visit, Tirupati police prohibited processions and meetings, without prior permission. Section 30 of the Police Act which regulates public assemblies and processions is enforced.