Tirupati : Condemning TTD trust board member Naresh Kumar abusing an employee at Maha Dwaram in Tirumala temple, TTD Employees Welfare Association president Cheerla Kiran demanded the trust board member to resign from the post.

Kiran, speaking to media here on Wednesday, alleged that the trust board member from Karnataka used filthy language against the employee Balaji for refusing to open the gate at Maha Dwaram as it was against rule, when Naresh Kumar came out after darshan.

Kiran said the board member was infuriated for not being allowed to come out through Maha Dwaram gate, publicly insulted the employee in front of devotees and other employees. The board member openly threatened the employee that he will see that he is shifted immediately to another place and also called him ‘third-grade’ person which is not at all acceptable. Stating that a person who is behaving inappropriately should not remain as board member, Kiran urged TTD management to remove him immediately if he didn’t resign for insulting staffer and hurting the sentiments of employees.

Kiran said the welfare association will stage a dharna at TTD administrative buildings on Thursday to press for the removal of Naresh Kumar from TTD trust board.

Meanwhile, videos of the confrontation between TTD trust board member Naresh and staffer Balaji at Maha Dwaram went viral on social media drawing widespread condemnation of the member’s behaviour.

The CPI(ML) New Democracy district secretary R Hari Krishna at a press conference on Wednesday also condemned Naresh Kumar for his unruly behaviour.

The trust board member was appointed to serve the devotees but not to serve to their self-interests, he said, demanding removal of Naresh Kumar from the trust board.

It may be noted here that the incident in which the trust board member openly abusing a TTD staffer at Maha Dwaram occurred on Tuesday while the board member Naresh Kumar came out of the temple after darshan during VIP break.