Former chief minister and president of the YSR CONGRESS Party Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy postponed his planned trip to Tirumala on Friday after being asked to fill out a document confirming his faith before entering the Lord Venkateswara shrine by officials of the ruling Telugu Desam Party and BJP.
On Friday evening, Jagan was scheduled to depart for Tirumala and make his Saturday temple visit. The TDP, Jana Sena Party, and BJP protested his planned visit and called for protests to thwart it.
Ever since the TDP, under by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, accused the YSRCP of supplying tampered ghee that contained animal fat to Tirupati laddus, Jagan and his party have been under intense criticism.
Speaking to reporters, Jagan attempted to dispel the rumours by citing a number of sources that stated that all ghee tankers that failed testing had been returned by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials.
Additionally, he denounced Naidu and the TDP-led NDA government for settling political scores with religious appeals. “I may read the Bible inside the four walls of my home, but outside, I respect Hinduism, Islam and Sikh religions. Don’t people know my religion? As CM, I have presented the sacred clothes to Lord Venkateswara. No one questioned my religion and faith ever. How dare the TDP and alliance leaders ask me not to visit the temple?” Jagan said.
Stating that leaders of the TDP, JSP and BJP were twisting words and spreading false information, he said, “Do you know the meaning of the word ‘secular’? Do not indulge in dirty politics in the name of religion. I urge all YSRCP leaders to go to temples and tell people that it is Chandrababu Naidu who has done wrong by insulting the sanctity of the Lord Venkateswara temple and the Tirupati laddus by spreading false allegations.”
Targeting Naidu, Jagan said, “What is this, Hindutva? Humanity is Hinduism. Doing good deeds means Hinduism. In my view, any Hindu who does bad things is not a real Hindu.”
Jagan said after his padayatra too, he had visited the temple to seek the Lord’s blessings. “I not only visited the temple several times, I accompanied the PM, I accompanied many leaders. Why was I not questioned then? Why is my faith under question now?” he said. “What kind of secularism is this?”
“As CM for five years, I presented the sacred clothes to Lord Venkateswara and you are asking me not to visit the temple? My father, who was also CM for five years, presented sacred clothes to the Lord. Who are you to question my religion and faith? If you want to fill a declaration form then fill it. Don’t people know my faith and religion?”
Hours after Jagan’s press conference, Naidu shot back, “If Jagan Mohan Reddy respects all religions, why is he asking why he should declare his faith before entering a temple when it is the tradition and a rule?”
“Has anyone stopped him from going to the temple? All that some people have asked is you follow the rules and regulations of the temple. So many prominent persons have signed the declaration form and visited the temple without any fuss; what prevents Jagan from doing so?”
“Nobody is bothered if Jagan reads the Bible at his home. We all follow some faith or the other. Jagan says that while he reads the Bible at home, he respects all religions outside. If so, why doesn’t he want to respect the rules and traditions of Tirumala temple – of declaring if one is from a different faith? Every law abiding citizen has done it before,” he said.
“Jagan says that as CM, he has visited the temple several times and offered sacred clothes to the Lord, and nobody stopped him or questioned his faith. I think that Jagan used his power and strong-armed his way into the temple. He broke all rules and traditions. Why will people and devotees accept that? Rowdyism will not take you anywhere… Nobody stops anyone from seeking the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. All they request is that you follow the rules and traditions,” the CM said.
Before Jagan’s press conference, police in Tirupati district had warned YSRCP leaders against organising protests or rallies. “Some key YSRCP leaders are being prevented by police from leaving their homes. They are under house arrest,” former minister Ambati Rambabu claimed.
The argument started when Jagan was asked to fill out a religion declaration form by BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari and leader Lanka Dinakar before he could enter the temple. Dinakar advised Jagan to announce his beliefs and religion prior to entering the shrine.
“We demand that Jagan first apologise to all Hindus for tarnishing the spiritual sanctity of TTD and the temple. He is going to take the darshan of Lord Balaji. No one can stop him, but when he enters Tirupati Tirumala, he should provide a declaration. This should be done by all non-Hindus,” Dinkar said.
Former YSRCP MLA and former TTD board chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy shot back: “Jagan has visited the temple several times and participated in many rituals in the past; what is the need now for him to fill out the declaration form? It is a political conspiracy to defame him.”
Chief Minister Naidu asked people to observe the customs and traditions of the shrine before Jagan cancelled his visit. “My Government accords highest priority to safeguard the sanctity of the Lord of the Seven Hills and to preserve the sentiments of the devotees. Each pilgrim who visits Tirumala for the darshan of the Lord takes utmost care to follow the conventions and traditions to offer prayers to the Lord,” Naidu said in a statement. “My sincere request to all pilgrims is that no devotee should act against the sentiments and temple rituals.”
According to the TDP, non-Hindus are only permitted to attend the renowned temple after submitting a “declaration of faith” to the ruling deity.
The party has released documents purporting to be “declarations of faith” from other non-Hindu political figures and celebrities. Actor Shah Rukh Khan and his daughter Suhana Khan were reportedly among those who have professed their faith before to entering the temple in 2023. The party also sent Farooq Abdullah, the former chief minister of J&K, with his alleged “declaration of faith.”
According to a TDP leader, “a file was moved making it mandatory for non-Hindus to give this declaration of faith to Lord Venkateswara.” According to the leader, most non-Hindu celebrities had complied with this regulation since 2012.
