TTD Board chairman B R Naidu, who was appointed this week, said on Thursday that the staff in Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, should be Hindus only.
Addressing reporters, Naidu said he would also hold discussions with the Andhra Pradesh government on staff of other religions and explore possibilities like their shifting to various other government departments or being given VRS. “Everybody working in Tirumala should be Hindu. I’ll take that up first. There are several issues involved, and we have to move.
Naidu, a staunch follower of Lord Venkateswara, thanked his appointment as chairman for being a great opportunity. He thanked Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu and other leaders of the State’s NDA government for assigning him the responsibility.
B R Naidu also accused that many irregularities took place at Tirumala during the previous YSR Congress regime and asserted the need to keep the temple’s sanctity. He promised to work honestly and have more transparency in his job.
Naidu, whose portfolio includes running Telugu TV channels and a Hindu devotional channel, was made chairman when the Andhra Pradesh government constituted a new board of 24 members to oversee TTD, the organization that manages the famous Balaji temple at Tirumala Tirupati. Board members include Suchitra Ella, Co-founder and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Ltd.
