Tirumala Temple Scandals Fuel Political War
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the trust governing the world-renowned temple of Lord Venkateswara, is currently embroiled in a severe crisis marked by multiple corruption allegations. This unsettling sequence of events has sparked a ferocious political conflict in Andhra Pradesh, with ruling and opposition parties trading sharp accusations over the temple’s sanctity and administration. The controversies primarily center on financial irregularities, including a major theft case and a significant procurement fraud. These issues have deeply concerned millions of devotees who place immense faith in the sacred institution.
The latest turmoil at the temple involves two distinct but equally serious matters: the long-running Parakamani theft case and a newly uncovered multi-crore procurement scam. Regarding the Parakamani case, which involves alleged theft from the temple’s counting center, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has ordered strong legal action. The court specifically directed the state’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to register formal First Information Reports (FIRs) and launch a comprehensive probe. This high-level judicial intervention was necessitated after the initial case was controversially closed through a Lok Adalat compromise, a decision that drew intense public and political scrutiny.
The High Court’s directive empowers the CID and ACB to investigate the circumstances surrounding that compromise, assess the assets of the primary accused TTD employee, and share all relevant information with central agencies like the Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate. In a connected development that adds a layer of mystery, the court also requested the post-mortem report of the former TTD official who had been the complainant in the original theft case and was recently found dead under suspicious circumstances.
Adding to the temple’s woes is a massive ₹54.95 crore procurement scandal involving the supply of sacred garments, or dupattas. TTD’s vigilance wing uncovered that a contracting firm allegedly supplied inferior, one hundred percent polyester material instead of the mandatory pure mulberry silk, violating tender specifications over a period of nearly ten years. The TTD Trust Board has referred this matter to the ACB for a detailed criminal investigation. This revelation has further damaged the trust placed in the institution’s management, highlighting a profound lack of oversight in the procurement of items used for both ritual and commercial purposes.
These scandals have swiftly morphed into a full-scale political confrontation between the ruling alliance and the opposition. The current government is aggressively pointing to the period of the previous regime, suggesting that systemic corruption and a breakdown of governance allowed such large-scale thefts and frauds to occur. They have vowed to restore the temple’s sanctity and ensure all culprits, regardless of their political connections, are brought to justice.
In response, the opposition party has accused the current government of launching a politically motivated “smear campaign” and “dragging God into politics” to divert attention from their own administrative issues. They deny all allegations of misappropriation during their tenure and argue that the current investigations are biased and manipulated. This continuous back-and-forth over the temple’s management has created a deeply polarised atmosphere, turning a matter of religious faith and public trust into a fierce political battleground in the state.
The core issue remains the integrity of TTD, one of the world’s richest temples. While investigations intensify into everything from the quality of the famous laddu ghee to the theft of devotee offerings and the sale of fraudulent silk, the people of Andhra Pradesh are demanding accountability and transparency to ensure the sanctity of their revered shrine is immediately restored.
