Bhumana alleges pressure behind Pedda Jeeyar’s letter to CM
Tirupati: Aletter written by Pedda Jeeyar Swamy to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday, seeking the establishment of a strong system in Tirumala to prevent incidents like ghee adulteration in the future, has triggered fresh discussion in the ongoing controversy.
Reacting to the letter, former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged on Tuesday that, for the first time, a letter was made to be written by Pedda Jeeyar Swamy in a manner that goes against the traditions and customs of the Lord Venkateswara temple. He felt that Jeeyar Swamy wrote the letter under pressure.
Karunakar Reddy accused the government of raising the laddu issue to provoke religious hatred and said even the Pedda Jeeyar Mutt, which belongs to the lineage of Jagadguru Ramanujacharya, had been turned into a pawn.
“After the SIT report clearly said there was no role of political leaders or governing council members, why were saints pressured and made to write such letters?” Karunakar Reddy said.
He further alleged that ‘Bokkasam’ in-charge Gururaja pressured Pedda Jeeyar Swamy for two hours to get the letter released. He claimed that Jeeyar Swamy, who is a Tamilian, was made to write the letter in Telugu and sign it in Hindi. He also alleged that selected swamis were being used to target the YSRCP.
Meanwhile, in his letter, Pedda Jeeyar Swamy said those involved in daily rituals, annaprasadam and laddu offerings to Lord Venkateswara were shocked and deeply distressed to learn that the ghee used in laddu preparation was confirmed by the CBI to be adulterated. He said that knowingly continuing to use such ghee for preparing sacred prasadam would be a grave offence, against dharma, and a highly irresponsible act.
He noted that irregularities related to laddu prasadam, which devotees accept with utmost faith and purity of heart, had deeply hurt the sentiments of followers of Sanatana Hindu Dharma. Pedda Jeeyar Swamy expressed confidence that the Chief Minister, a devoted follower of Lord Venkateswara, would establish a strong system to ensure that such incidents do not occur again in Tirumala in the future.
