Hyderabad: BJP MP Subramaniam Swamy and law student Satya Sabharwal on Wednesday moved a petition before the Hyderabad High Court seeking an order for freeing 11 temples including the Lord Venkateswara temple from the administrative control of the AP government.
Dr Swamy had earlier moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction for freeing the temple from the control of the state government, it had asked him to move the Hyderabad High Court with his plea.
Following the apex court’s direction, the MP along with the law student filed a plea before the High Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987.
They contended that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, including the Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, the Sri Padmavathi temple in Tiruchanur and another 11 temples in AP, were the richest in India in terms of annual income and asset holdings.
They submitted that under the guise of sanction provided in the law to administer the religious institutions, the AP government had “virtually usurped the fundamental religious, administrative and cultural rights of Hindu citizens and denominations.”
He said the hereditary trustees, archakas and other temple-oriented communities who account for a major source of offerings and funds of the religious institutions had become “passive observers and onlookers with practically no say in religious matters.”
They alleged that the AP government had been misusing the funds of the temples which were in the purview of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and also destructing the heritage of the temples.
He urged the court to direct the AP government and the TTD to conduct external audit of accounts, utilisation of funds and properties including jewellery for the past three years of TTD and submit the report to the court.
