September 20: Former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy strongly condemned the attempts of Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh to misuse the sacred Tirumala temple for their political interests.
He said it has become a habit for both Naidu and Lokesh to resort to lies and malicious propaganda in the name of Lord Venkateswara. Referring to the recent allegations over the Parakamani issue, he pointed out that Lokesh is spreading blatant falsehoods.
Bhumana explained that on April 29, 2023, TTD Vigilance staff caught C.V. Ravikumar red-handed for stealing US Dollar notes from the Srivari Hundi, valued at around Rs. 72,000. “This incident was detected and acted upon during our YSRCP government itself. How can anyone accuse us of wrongdoing when it was under our tenure that the theft was exposed and action was taken?” he questioned.
During investigation, Ravikumar admitted that he had committed such thefts multiple times over the past two decades, including during Chandrababu’s earlier rule. Yet, Naidu’s government at the time never acted against him. Ravikumar, who was working at the Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt and serving as a Parakamani clerk, was handed over to the Law & Order police for further probe. He confessed to the crime and, as an act of repentance, offered to gift his properties to Lord Venkateswara.
Accordingly, a charge sheet was filed in May 2023, and in June 2023, Ravikumar and his family transferred assets worth about Rs. 14.43 crore to TTD as donation. The TTD Board passed a resolution, and the matter was legally settled through Lok Adalat in July 2023. “This entire process was handled transparently, lawfully, and in accordance with dharma,” Reddy asserted.
He criticised Chandrababu of now trying to twist facts for political mileage. “If Ravikumar had been caught during Chandrababu’s tenure, would his properties have gone to TTD or would they have ended up in TDP leaders’ accounts? Everyone knows the answer,” he said.
Bhumana condemned the coalition government’s attempts to once again drag Tirumala temple into their dirty politics. “It is evident that Chandrababu and Lokesh neither fear God nor have any devotion. Every day they prove that they are willing to stoop to any level for political gain. But Lord Venkateswara himself will teach them the right lesson,” he concluded.
*Protest programme grand success: YSRCP*
