Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister, said that if non-Hindus believe in a certain religious practice or ritual, they should make a formal declaration according to the established traditions. This is to respect the customs and procedures that are already in place.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu addresses a press conference, at Undavalli, near Vijayawada.
In a new twist to the Tirumala laddu controversy, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu questioned YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, asking if he had declared his faith in Lord Venkateswara before entering the temple. This declaration is a customary practice for non-Hindus visiting the sacred site.
On Tuesday, Chandrababu Naidu took to X (formerly Twitter) and stated that while anyone can visit the temple and have a darshan of Lord Venkateswara, what truly matters is faith. He questioned Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, asking, “Do you believe in Lord Venkateswara? If so, as a non-Hindu, shouldn’t you follow tradition and make a formal declaration of your faith? Why visit Tirumala if you don’t respect that custom?”
Naidu added that he was elected Chief Minister to serve the people, not to go against traditions. He criticized those who dismissed concerns about the desecration of statues of Lord Hanuman, Lord Rama, and the burning of a temple chariot. Their careless reactions hurt the sentiments of devotees, he said, urging everyone to apologize to God. Naidu emphasized that disrespecting any religion is wrong and turning lies into truth is an act of betrayal against Lord Venkateswara.
In 2020, Y.V. Subba Reddy, then Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), stirred controversy by suggesting that non-Hindus need not sign the traditional faith declaration to enter the temple. After facing backlash from political parties and Hindu organizations, he clarified that he never proposed removing the declaration for non-Hindus seeking darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
Subba Reddy explained that, in the past, some non-Hindu politicians had visited Tirumala without signing the declaration, and since Jagan Mohan Reddy had shown deep devotion to Lord Venkateswara, he believed there was no need for him to sign the form.
As per TTD’s regulations, Rule 136 allows only Hindus for darshan. Rule 137 requires non-Hindus who wish to visit to inform the authorities and sign a declaration form affirming their faith. According to a 2014 circular, if someone’s name or appearance suggests they are non-Hindu (e.g., Esaiah, Sardar Singh, Ahmed), TTD officials can request them to sign the faith declaration.
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The company in the eye of storm is Dindigul based AR Foods in Tamil Nadu. The firm was among the five short-listed companies was the Dindigul-based AR Foods, with the lowest bid of ₹320/litre.
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