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Defamation suit against Deekshitulu, IYR?

Defamation suit against Deekshitulu, IYR?

If the reports coming from the corridors of power in Amaravati are to be believed, the Andhra Pradesh government headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has decided to file civil and criminal defamation cases against retired head priest of Tirumala temple A V Ramana Deekhsitulu for making wild allegations against the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and the state government.

A decision to this effect was reportedly taken at the high level meeting of Naidu with the TTD officials and trust board chairman held to look into the allegations made by Ramana Deekshitulu.

The chief minister was particularly peeved with the reports that Deekshitulu had complained to Union home minister Rajnath Singh and asked for a CBI probe into the TTD affairs.

The cases, however, would be filed by the TTD and not the AP government as such.

It is learnt defamation cases would also be filed against former chief secretary I Y R Krishna Rao and also a national television channel which carried an interview with Ramana Deekshitulu.

Apparently, Naidu realised that the allegations by Deekhsitulu are all set to snowball into a national issue and if some serious action was not taken, it would damage the prestige of the country’s richest temple.

He asked TTD Executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal and Chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav to put the records straight with regard to funds, jewellery and temple rituals.

He asked them to see that there were no complaints from devotees and also religious heads like Jeeyars with regard to any of the rituals.

Naidu also asked the TTD authorities to be ready with all the necessary documents and records to face any legal issues.

Singhal told media later that the TTD had already released the list of jewellery of Lord Venkateswara prepared in 1952.

“We are ready to display the jewels to dispel doubts expressed by Deekhsitulu,” he said.

Answering a question on future course of action the EO said that the Board would initiate action as per law.

“There were some new allegations and issued raised in the last two days, which need to be looked into,” he said.

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