Hyderabad: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam has been forced to drop cases against pilgrims who protested on Vaikunta Ekadasi, after strong protests from some political parties.
“Devotees are gods. We are withdrawing all cases as per the direction of the executive officer,” said TTD official Ramana.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, Telugu Desam, actor Shivaji and others had objected to the decision taken by TTD chairman Bapi Raju and executive officer, M.G. Gopal, to book cases against pilgrims who had protested outside the TTD office as they had been denied darshan due to the large number of VIPs.
The parties have demanded action against officials who issued the large number of VIP passes, some of them sold in the black market. TD city president T. Srinivas Yadav has moved the Human Rights Commission regarding the ill treatment of the pilgrims and the priority given to VIPs and the misuse of power. The HRC has directed the endowments commissioner to submit a detailed report by January 30.
G. Kishan Reddy, state BJP president, said that the TTD had issued 8,950 VIP passes, which resulted in a huge delay in darshan for ordinary pilgrims, a stampede, and the protests. “Unfortunately, instead of curbing the VIP malaise, the TTD booked cases against ordinary pilgrims for the first time in the history of the TTD,” Kishan Reddy said.
He alleged that with elections round the corner, TTD chairman Bapiraju and other political leaders were bringing in hundreds of supporters from their constituency for darshan to appease them and demanded that the Governor should intervene.
Actor Shivaji said cases should be booked against the chairman and EO for ill-treating the pilgrims and failure to ensure smooth darshan. “The TTD is surviving on the donations of ordinary pilgrims. Ordinary pilgrims donate '2 crore daily,” he said.
The actor said, “An official said I raised the banner of revolt because I did not get VIP treatment. Sir, I am not a VIP. Lord is VIP. I am an ordinary pilgrim and expect darshan of the Lord to everyone without hassles. I have no objection to VIP passes on security grounds, but why ignore ordinary mortals? Why so many VIP passes to those coming from Mumbai and Delhi?”
