Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu created controversy on Friday with a remark that only Hindus should be hired at the Tirumala Temple.
Naidu made the remarks while speaking in the context of a recent move taken by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) regarding employees of other faiths working at the temple.
He underlined that if people belonging to other religious communities are already employed at the temple, they would be shifted to other jobs without offending their sentiments.
"Only Hindus must be employed at the Tirumala Temple. If people belonging to other religions are already working there, they will be shifted to other places without offending their sentiments," Naidu said, according to ANI.
This assertion comes in the wake of the actions TTD took against 18 employees, who were said to be practicing Christianity contrary to their swearing to adhere to Hindu beliefs and traditions. The employees held different positions in the institutions operated by TTD, such as lecturers, engineers, nurses, and helpers. The TTD had excluded these people from religious and spiritual functions organized by the temple. In addition, the TTD Trust Board had resolved that non-Hindu employees within the temple administration were to be surrendered to the government, as per the decision taken in their meeting on November 18, 2024.
Apart from this, Naidu also spoke on the controversy regarding the building of the Mumtaz Hotel close to the Tirumala Temple. Permission was initially given for the hotel to be constructed on 35.32 acres of land opposite the temple. The government has now decided to cancel this permission, Naidu announced. The CM reiterated that there should be no commercialization close to the holy Seven Hills, which are of religious importance to Hindus.
Earlier, the TTD had also opposed the hotel construction, calling it "objectionable" because of how close it was to the temple. TTD chairman BR Naidu had pointed out that the land was initially given to the tourism department for the Devalokam project but was later diverted for the hotel, a move which he and many others in the temple administration deemed inappropriate.
In another release, Naidu announced projects for constructing Venkateswara Swamy temples in every state capital in India. This follows his more extensive religious and cultural projects in the state.
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