Andhra Pradesh: Karunakar Reddy brushes aside allegations on his faith as baseless, vows to take TTD forward

Pro-poor projects such as Dalita Govindam and Kalyanamsthu have been launched during my earlier stint as TTD Chairman, recalls Bhumana Karunakar Reddy. Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy says that the TTD will launch a programme to counter the baseless criticism levelled against the temple management on various media platforms.

In his first reaction to the fusillade of criticism against his religious faith and beliefs, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has said that he will take the TTD forward, come what may.

“Ever since my nomination to the post, there have been social media posts against me by my opponents that I am an atheist, or that I follow Christianity. Those who have watched me from close quarters know what I am, and hence I am not bothered at these baseless allegations,” Mr. Karunakar Reddy said here on August 27 (Sunday).

He made these comments after releasing the book, ‘Bhuman: Moodu Tharala Manishi’, authored on his elder brother Bhuman, the founder of Rayalaseema Adhyayanala Samstha (Centre for Rayalaseema Studies), here.

Recalling the pro-poor projects launched during his previous stint as the TTD Chairman such as Dalita Govindam and Kalyanamasthu to prevent religious conversions, he said, “It was during my tenure that a decision had been taken to not allow footwear on the four Mada Streets encircling the Tirumala Srivari temple. The 600th death anniversary of Tallapaka Annamacharya was also observed in a grand manner. I hail from a revolutionary background, and hence I will not be cowed by such remarks.”

TTD Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy said that the TTD would launch a programme to counter the baseless criticism levelled against the temple management on various media platforms, thus creating confusion among the devout.

MLC Subramanyam, Amara Raja Group founder Ramachandra N. Galla, and journalists Devulapalli Amar and Tadi Prakash took part.