The reports published in several national newspapers that the Indian army personnel belonging to Assam Rifles on the Mizoram-Myanmar border caught 120 bags of tonsured human hair belonging to Lord Balaji temple in Tirumala recently has kicked up a big storm.
Those who were caught reportedly confessed that the human hair from Tirupati was meant for smuggling into China via Myanmar and Thailand.
However, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Tuesday clarified that the seizure of tonsured human hair on the borders of Mizoram-Myanmar has nothing to do with TTD.
In a statement, the TTD said all of its stock of tonsured hair donated by devotees as part of their vow was being sold on the e-auction platform to international bidders.
“Many temples in the country do carryout sale of human hair offered by devotees. The TTD also executes human hair sale on e-platform for every three months and it is a routine process,” it said.
The statement said the TTD handed over the hair stock through e-tenders to the bidders after deducting prescribed GST.
“Thereafter the TTD will not interfere on issues like whether the bidder possessed international export permits or where all they dispose of their stock once it is sold,” it said.
The officials said the TTD would blacklist the names of companies if the authorities officially declared them.
However, the Telugu Desam Party suspected a big scam in the smuggling of human hair from the Tirumala.
Former Minister and TDP senior leader Ch Ayyanna Patrudu blamed the ruling YSR Congress gangsters for the illegal trafficking of human hair from the highly respected Balaji Temple in Tirumala to foreign countries.
Ayyanna said that the seizure of Rs 2 crore worth devotees' hair by the Assam Rifles in the North East exposed the unlawful smuggling activities in an unchecked way.
“From this, it is clear how the YSRCP leaders are running mafia even in human hair apart from sand, cement, liquor, etc,” he alleged.
The TDP leader demanded an explanation from the Jaganmohan Reddy Government to the AP people on why it failed to curb the hair mafia menace at the highly revered Tirumala temple.
“By indulging in such ungodly activities, the YSRC leaders were launching non-stop attacks on the sentiments of the Hindu devotees. It was unfortunate that the Jagan regime remained indifferent to the protection of the sanctity of the Seven Hills,” he said.
