Tirumala- YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy walked right into a controversy at the Tirupati temple on Sunday when he refused to sign the mandatory declaration form, which is a must under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Act for non-Hindus. Mr Reddy also kept his footwear right at the entrance of the Vaikuntam Q complex when he should have instead taken them off before entering the Q complex.
Though TTD officials tried to explain the mandatory provision and seek Mr Reddy’s signature, he refused to sign the declaration form, challenging the very provisions of the Act. Even on his previous visit to the temple on May 3, 2012, the YSRC chief had refused to sign the declaration. Meanwhile, top officials of the TTD found themselves in a helpless situation as there is no specification in the Act on the action to be initiated against a person for refusing to oblige to the rules. Devotees at the temple too protested and asked what good the rules were if they could not be implemented for everyone.
