YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced on Friday that he has indefinitely postponed his planned visit to the Tirupati Lord Venkateshwara Temple, amid growing pressure from NDA allies in Andhra Pradesh to publicly declare his faith before entering the shrine.
The Tirumala tour, initially planned as part of the YSRCP’s call for prayers to atone for TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s alleged ‘sin’ over the quality of Tirupati laddus, has now been put on hold. Reddy cited the issuance of police notices to his party leaders and workers as a key reason for postponing the visit.
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Addressing the media, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “On one side, all our people are being issued notices threatening that they (police) will file cases. On the other side they are bringing BJP people from the neighbouring state to create a law and order problem and a religious issue to cover up Chandrababu’s misdeed,” he said, PTI reported.
Earlier, Chief Minister Naidu had appealed for all visitors to the Tirumala temple, including non-Hindus, to follow the rules and refrain from hurting devotees’ sentiments. According to temple regulations, non-Hindus must declare their faith in Lord Venkateswara before seeking darshan of the deity.
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Reddy attacked Naidu’s administration, labelling it a “Rakshasa Rajyam” (kingdom of demons) and accused him of stirring religious tensions to distract from his governance failures. Jagan defended the ghee used in the Tirupati laddus during his party’s previous regime, stating that the rejected ghee was never used in preparing the sacred offering.
“Chandrababu Naidu intentionally planted seeds of doubts on the Laddu quality,” Reddy said.
“As a person who respects and loves Venkateswara Swamy, I do not want to go there and divert the topic. So I am postponing my tour,” he said, without specifying a new date for his temple visit.
Naidu had previously accused the YSRCP of using substandard ghee with traces of animal fat in the famous laddus, which has sparked a political and religious row between the two leaders.
Reddy reiterated his religious faith, stating that everyone is aware of his beliefs. He emphasised his respect for all religions, noting that while he reads the Bible in private, he has visited the Tirumala temple multiple times, even before becoming the Chief Minister.
The controversy over the Tirumala visit has seen heavy police deployment in the region to maintain order, with tensions rising between the two political camps.