‘To serve insiders on leaves and outsiders on bronze plates isn’t new in politics. However, it is a universal fact that insiders will always be protected without letting the secret known to the public. It is shocking that even God’s money is put at stake.’
The whole issue took place nine months ago. With the whole episode coming into public view, devotees of Lord Venkateshwara have expressed their concerns against the decisions taken by the newly elected TTD Governing Council.
Speculations of a pink diamond belonging to Lord Venkateshwara worth crores, which went missing during the previous TDP regime had hogged the limelight. It was alleged that influential people were behind the missing case of the precious jewel thereby causing a major embarrassment for the state government. Following the incident, chief priest of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Ramana Deekshitulu held press meets in Delhi and Chennai and made strong allegations, which gave rise to suspicions that the latter was taking the side of YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
The issue was also blown out of proportion by YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Reddy who used the issue to campaign aggressively against then TDP Government in every possible manner. In other words, whether the pink diamond really existed or is it a cooked-up story is unclear.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) claimed to have filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against chief priest Ramana Deekshitulu and the YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Reddy for having made false allegations without evidence. The case was filed in X Additional District Court with the court fees to the tune of two crores being paid. With the matter still sub-judice, the government changed with the YSRCP coming into power.
Later YS Jagan appointed YV Subba Reddy as the Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Trust Board. Under the new TTD governing council, a decision under resolution 447 was taken during the meeting held on February 29, 2020, which states that the defamation case against V Vijayasai and Ramana Deekshitulu needs to be withdrawn as the duo had expressed their strong faith towards Lord Venkateshwara. Now, the decisions taken were put under wraps and despite nine months passing, no information pertaining to the meet has been leaked out.
Coincidentally, the matter that the petitioners withdrew from the case came to light after a Telangana based Hindu Janshakti Organisation had approached the court asking that it be impleaded in the defamation case. It is also learnt that the TTD was willing to forego the two crore rupees paid as court fees in the case.
