Vijayawada: TDP leader and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board member Janga Krishna Murthy resigned from the board on Friday, saying he was stepping down amid allegations and “false propaganda” linked to the Tirumala land allotment issue.

Krishna Murthy sent his resignation to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the TTD Board chairman, stating that his continuation on the board could inconvenience the Chief Minister and damage the reputation of the temple administration. Addressing the media in Vijayawada, he said the allegations against him amounted to character assassination and had deeply disturbed him.

He said Chandrababu Naidu had given him the opportunity to serve Lord Venkateswara for the third time and expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister. However, he said he chose to resign to ensure that the government and the TTD were not dragged into controversy because of him.

Clarifying the land issue, Krishna Murthy said land had been allotted to him in Tirumala in the past, but he was unable to pay at the time due to financial constraints and had approached the High Court.

He said he later sought re-allotment during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure and formed a trust so that the land would be held in the trust’s name, not personally by him. “Any construction there would belong to Lord Venkateswara and remain under the temple’s control,” he said, rejecting claims of personal ownership or benefit.

Krishna Murthy said the earlier allotment was cancelled without notice and that the matter was later placed before the TTD board. While one member Bhanu Prakash Reddy opposed it, he said the majority approved the re-allotment.

Alleging a conspiracy, he said he was being targeted because he came from a weaker section and did not rise through caste or political lineage. He denied reports that the matter was discussed in the Cabinet.

He also launched a sharp attack on former TTD chairman Dharma Reddy, accusing him of treating Tirumala land like real estate. Krishna Murthy said he had paid Rs 60 lakh earlier, which was later refunded after the allotment was cancelled. “I resigned so the credibility of the new TTD board is not tarnished,” he said.