Defying Supreme Court directions, Naidu playing politics with devotees’ faith

Rajamundry, Feb 8: Former minister Chelluboyina Venugopala Krishna, in a video released to the media, criticised Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for violating Supreme Court directions and hurting the sentiments of millions of devotees for political gain. He said people across the state are questioning whether Chandrababu came to power only to hurt the faith of Lord Venkateswara’s devotees through continuous misinformation on the Tirumala laddu prasadam. He noted that Chandrababu’s earlier claims that animal fat was mixed in the ghee used for laddus were proven false by the CBI-SIT chargesheet, bringing relief and happiness to devotees. However, unable to accept a report that did not suit his narrative, Chandrababu is now, out of frustration, speaking in a manner that damages the reputation of Tirumala and hurts religious sentiments.

He stated that after his earlier claims were exposed, Chandrababu began new propaganda to convince people that his version was true, including making statements that even toilet-cleaning chemicals were used in laddu preparation. Such remarks, he said, are deeply offensive and lower the sanctity of Tirumala. He criticized the Chief Minister for behaving irresponsibly and forgetting the dignity of his office while chasing political mileage. Even after courts advised restraint on speaking about the laddu issue, Chandrababu is continuing what he called “poisonous propaganda,” effectively disregarding Supreme Court guidance. He accused Chandrababu of playing with the faith of devotees who deeply trust Lord Venkateswara. Venugopala Krishna demanded that Chandrababu at least now admit his mistake and apologize to the devotees for hurting their beliefs.