Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State unit spokesperson G. Bhanuprakash Reddy on Monday said there was no truth to the claims of Srivani funds being diverted, and criticised the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for ‘levelling baseless allegations’ against the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Mr. Bhanuprakash Reddy, who was in the temple town on Monday on a ‘fact-finding mission’, asserted that there was ‘no chance of misappropriation of funds’. He brushed aside allegations of non-maintenance of accounts and non-issuance of receipts for purchased tickets and appealed to devotees ‘not to fall prey to the wicked designs of various political leaders who were bent on politicising temple issues’.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mr. Bhanuprakash Reddy said that he personally witnessed the process of issuing of Srivani tickets and said he had obtained all the relevant records and details from the TTD authorities and found that there was no scope for any fraud.
“So far, the TTD has received ₹862 crore by way of selling the Srivani tickets and had spent ₹122 crore for the construction and renovation of temples across several States. Over ₹700 crore are deposited in various banks. The TTD also has received ₹36 crore in the form of interest received on the deposits,” Mr. Bhanuprakash Reddy said.
“It is deplorable that the rumours surrounding the Srivani tickets have had their echo felt even among NRIs. I have personally received several phone calls from abroad questioning the veracity of the allegations and it is a matter of utter shame on the part of the political leaders to target the temple unmindful of the damage they were causing to the religious sentiments of devotees,” he said.
He appealed to all the political parties to save the temple and its sanctity and desist from levelling frivolous narratives for petty gains. “If they feel that their concerns are genuine they should seek necessary records/details from the temple authorities before making any statements because it is ultimately the sentiment of the devotees which is at stake,” he said.
In future, the TTD should also publicly come out with the details of the funds received on the first of every month in order to remove any misconceptions, he said.
In reply to a question, he said that efforts should be made to recover ₹2 crore paid in the form of court fees in the controversial ‘pink diamond’ episode from the then TTD board and its Chairman. and fumed that It is the money received from the devotees and cannot be squandered away at the whims and fancies of any individual or a body.
