Christian Chairman Controversy At TTD
Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, the MLA from Tirupati, has been appointed as the new Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
He assumed the new role on Thursday, taking the place of YV Subba Reddy. Despite this, a wave of protest toward Karunakar has already begun, with voices labeling him ‘Anti-Hindu’.
Bhumna Karunakar Reddy, the MLA from Tirupati, has been appointed as the chairman of the nation’s wealthiest temple trust, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).
The appointment was made by Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
His tenure as chairman commenced on August 10th.
However, Reddy’s appointment has stirred controversy due to his Christian faith, which has caused a public outcry on appointing a Christian to oversee a Hindu temple trust.
Telugu Desam Party Secretary Buchi Rama Prasad has questioned Reddy’s appointment as the chief of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Prasad has pointed to doubts about Reddy’s faith in Hinduism as the chief reason behind his concern.
The TDP secretary alleged that Karunakar Reddy has a known affiliation with Christianity, which is well-documented in the public domain.
According to Prasad, there is significant evidence to substantiate these claims.
He particularly mentioned Reddy’s daughter’s marriage, which was reportedly conducted following Christian traditions.
Amid this controversy, Karunakar, a close aide of Jagan Mohan Reddy, has stated that while his family does adhere to Christian practices, he follows Hinduism.
During YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s Tenure
It is unforgettable that due to YSR’s Christian beliefs and financial backing from missionaries, seven hills of Tirumala would have been divided.
As per his plan, out of the seven, Venkateswara Swami would only be allotted 3 hills, while the remaining 4 would be utilized to construct a church.
He suggested that placing a church on land historically linked to Hindu Gods would enhance secularism.
Indeed, the validation of this statement is available through Government Order number 338.
YSR attempted to limit Tirumala to just two hills.
For further evidence, I invite you to refer to the related article published by the Times of India.
In YSR’s tenure, numerous attempts were made by Christians to propagate Christianity in the Tirumala temple, primarily through brochure distribution.
This plan was however discontinued following his stroke of death. The Tirumala devotees also claimed in the past that if Jagan ascends to power, there could be a significant shift in the demographic composition of Andhra Pradesh over the next decade, and this is what happening, they added.
A transformation might occur, with a majority Christian population and Jagan maintaining power through support from the Reddy and Christian communities.
Also, Read | Govt. Officer in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Violates Rules, Goes to Church in Official Car, Refuses Prasadam
They suspected that Jagan, entirely supported by missionaries, would make every effort to encourage conversion.
They proposed that such missionaries with government backing would advocate religious conversion, and within a few decades, renovate entirely the state into a predominantly Christian territory, thereby eradicating all existing culture and traditions.