CM exploits Lord Venkateswara for political gain: Bhumana

Reacting to Naidu’s comments against the YSRC government, Bhumana slammed him for lacking faith in spirituality and sanctity and lying shamelessly in the deity’s presence, undermining Sanatan Dharma despite posing as a devotee. The former TTD chairman attacked Naidu and Pawan Kalyan for falsely labelling the Srivani Trust corrupt while in opposition. He noted the trust, started under TDP, thrived under YSRC, funding 3,600 temples nationwide. “A vigilance probe after the coalition government took power found no irregularities, yet Naidu plans to continue the trust while adding another for temple construction—a move which is duplicitous”, Karunakar Reddy observed and further condemned Naidu’s comparison of Lord Venkateswara to Araku coffee as deplorable.

He also challenged Naidu’s claim of resolving a Tirumala water crisis in 90 days by threatening officials with arrest, demanding names of those who suggested closing the temple, and further alleged the CM of fabricating tales and criticised the appointment of TTD Executive Officer Shyamala Rao for a “cleansing as only for Naidu to contradict Rao’s laddu prasadam findings. Bhumana stressed that annadanam for all devotees and barring non-Hindus from temple work began under Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy but not Naidu, who falsely claims credit.

Referring to TD’s approval of Oberoi and Devalok hotel projects in Tirumala, later cancelled due to protests by pontiffs but blame wrongly shifted to YSRC, he accused the current TTD EO of political bias, intimidating shopkeepers supporting YSRC. He slammed Naidu’s plan to turn temples into tourist hubs, prioritising VIP darshan over common devotees, who wait hours for darshan.