TD leaders arrested for staging protests ahead of CM\'s visit to Tirupati

TIRUPATI: Tirupati police on Tuesday arrested former MLA and Telugu Desam leader M. Sugunamma and other party workers for staging protests before Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s official visit to Tirumala for presentation of silk robes to Lord Venkateswara Swamy on the eve of annual brahmotsavams.

Taking a strong exception to the manner in which some YSRC leaders set up hundreds of flexis of the Chief Minister along the city roads that leads to Tirumala, the TD leaders staged a protest accusing the ruling party leaders of polluting the spiritual atmosphere of the temple city on the eve of Tirumala annual brahmotsavams.

Speaking to reporters while she was being arrested by the police, Sugunamma pointed out that some ruling party leaders’ over-enthusiasm has been hurting the sentiments of the devotees of Lord Venkateswara and Tirupati locals, as they have polluted the spiritual ambience of the city on the eve of brahmotsavams.

"It's been a tradition here that the TTD will erect gigantic welcome arches and electrical cut outs of mythological forms of Lord Balaji on the occasion of Tirumala brahmotsavams every year. This year, it was different as we are hardly seeing any such cut outs in the city. Instead, the over-enthusiastic leaders of the ruling party have set up hundreds of flexis for the Chief Minister all over the city", she lamented.

"Looking at the CM Jagan's flexis on the temple city roads, one would definitely wonder if they are celebrating Lord Venkateswara's brahmotsavams or Jaganotsavams", she said. Pointing out at the responsibility of the official fraternity in preserving the holy atmosphere of Tirupati, she alleged that the officials had conveniently ignored the whole episode and instead putting all their efforts to impress the Chief Minister.