India News | Pawan Kalyan Flays TTD Decision on Keeping Open Vaikunta Dwaram for Ten Days

Tirupati, Jan 22 (PTI) Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Friday slammed the decision to keep open the celestial "Vaikunta Dwaram" (passage) at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near here for ten days from Vaikunta Ekadasi day, saying it was not fair to break centuries-old practices.

He also alleged that for the last several years, political interference has been causing a sort of disturbance in the spiritual practices at the ancient temple in Tirumala.

The holy passage encircling the Sanctum Sanctorum used to be kept open for devotees only onthe Vaikunta Ekadasi day for the past many centuries, the actor-turned politician told reporters here.

But for the first time in history, it was kept open for ten days last month, he said, criticising the decision of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the temple, making the change from this year for the benefit of devotees.

Political interference and appointing politicians as members on the coveted Board of TTD and other templesboards as well should be stopped, he added.

Kalyan said his party would soon form "shadow teams" to keep an eye on 12 noted temples, including the Tirumala shrine, in Andhra Pradesh to check if there was any sort of violation in the observance of age-old customs.

Condemning the desecration of Hindu temples and deities in the state, he accused the Jaganmohan Reddy government of inaction in identifying and nabbing the perpetrators.

Had the same kind of attacks happened in places of worship of other faiths, would the YSRC government have shown the same attitude, he questioned.

The Jana Sena chief said he never said the ruling YSRC's hand was behind the attacks and demanded immediate stringent action against the culprits.

Replying to a question, he said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was the "most responsible and committed" organisation in the country.

After offering worship at the Lord Venkateswara temple, Pawan Kalyan made a donation of Rs 30 lakh for the Ram temple construction at Ayodhya.

He handed over a cheque for the amount to RSS state in- charge Bharat Kumar in the presence of senior BJP leader and former minister Kamineni Srinivas Rao at a hotel here. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)