Artists Protest in Tirumala After Event Organiser ‘Cheats’ Them

The accused collected money from them with a false promise of facilitating their dance debuts, they said.

He was identified as Abhishek from Khajipet in Telangana, operating two entities, namely the Annamacharya Arts Academy and the Annamayya Sahithi Kala Vikasa Parishad.

According to complaints, he collected amounts ranging from `2,000 to `5,000 from aspiring performers, claiming he had obtained TTD permission to conduct a two-day cultural programme titled Sri Srinivasa Kalaarchana at the Asthana Mandapam.

Artists were reportedly issued letters, ID cards, and assigned time slots for their performances.

While Abhishek had initially secured permission from the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad for the event on June 21, TTD later withdrew its approval following reports that he had taken money from participants.

Following this, Abhishek approached the high court, which directed TTD to conduct a Vigilance inquiry and submit a report within four weeks. The court also asked TTD to allow 1,200 artists, 600 each on June 27 and 28, to go ahead with their scheduled performances.

However, confusion erupted on Friday when over 2,000 participants arrived at the venue. With entry restricted to only 600, several artists were not allowed entry, leading to protests.

The TTD Vigilance and local police held discussions with the protestors and alerted senior officials. Following their intervention, the remaining artists were permitted to perform. TTD Vigilance detained the organiser’s manager for questioning. Further investigation is underway based on complaints from the victims.