AP Govt Keen On Maintaining Sanctity Of Tirumala: EO

Amaravati: Looking at the controversy that has emerged over the past couple of days in TTD, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with top TTD officials here today. After the meeting with the CM, TTD Executive Office Anil Kumar Singhal spoke to media and said that TTD always followed rules and never diverted from Aagama Shashtra.

The TTD EO said there was no misuse of funds at any given point of time. He said CM during the meeting has insisted that sanctity of the Tirumala temple should be intact and the sentiments of the devotees should not be hurt due to any controversy. "The CM also asked all the officials to provide all the needed facilities to the devotees who come to visit Tirumala temple. He also insisted that there should be no changes in any programme that was concerned with the Lord," he informed.

Anil Kumar Singhal asserted that the TTD has records of Lord's jewellery from 1952. He pointed out that even the retired judges committee had clearly informed on January 20, 2011 that all the jewellery were intact, but the committee was not able to pinpoint the exact jewellery of Sri Krishnadevaraya period. "Every year audit of the jewellery is conducted and even a small change is recorded in the documents. If Aagama Shashtra permits, TTD was ready to hold an exhibition of Lord's jewellery," he said.

The EO once again said that there was no pink diamond as was mentioned. There is a pink ruby which was broken due to devotees throwing coins at the deity, he said. Interestingly, the EO spoke the same before and after the CM's meeting. Ramana Deekshitulu, the former head priest of the Tirumala shrine, however, insists that it was not a ruby, but a rare pink diamond.