Tirupati: Two contract priests of the
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) have landed in trouble for meeting former chief minister
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on the sidelines of his three-day visit to Pulivendula. According to sources, the two priests were part of a group of Vedic scholars and priests, who met Jagan and rendered ‘Vedasirvachanam' at his residence on Wednesday.
After YSRCP activists posted the videos on social media platforms, the two contract priests, Shravan and Manoj, who work at the TTD-administered Vontimitta temple, were found to be part of the group of priests from the Brahmana Samajam, who met Jagan. According to TTD deputy executive officer A Prashanti, contract priests and workers are not supposed to take part in private events or programmes. "As they have violated the conduct rules, we have issued notices to them and have sought their explanation. If their explanation is found to be unsatisfactory, TTD services department will take a decision on initiating appropriate disciplinary action," she said.
Reacting to the "unnecessary controversy", Tirupati MP M Gurumoorthy said there was nothing wrong in the priests meeting the former chief minister. "They were part of a group of priests and Vedic pundits who met Jagan and rendered Vedasirvachanam. It was not a private event as they met an elected representative who is also the former chief minister of the state. If this becomes a precedent, then TTD will have to hand out notices to thousands of its employees. It is unfortunate that the ruling TDP is blatantly misusing the TTD for one-upmanship over its political opponents in this manner," the YSRCP MP said.
Get real-time updates and result insights on the
Karnataka SSLC Result 2026,
UP Board Result 2026,
UP Board 10th Result 2026 and
UP Board 12th Result 2026Sandeep Raghavan, a seasoned Indian journalist, is a Principal Di...
Read MoreSandeep Raghavan, a seasoned Indian journalist, is a Principal Digital Content Creator for The Times of India in Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema region. Starting in 2008 with Studio N, he moved to Deccan Chronicle in 2013 before joining TOI in 2019. He specializes in religion, politics, and crime, with notable expertise in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment