Take legal action against Sri Vyasashram managers: MLC

Tirupati: Member of Legislative Council Vithapu Balasubramanyam demanded legal action against the managers of Sri Vyasashram near Yerpedu since there are many allegations against it. The people living around Yerpedu have been staging series of protests demanding the removal of Public Relations Officer and his loyals from the Ashram so as to ensure that it functions by focusing on its real objective. MLC Balasubramanyam took part in this protest on Wednesday and demanded the government to conduct probe on the allegations. The chief pontiff of the ashram Paripurnananda Swamy and Amaranatha Reddy and Chandraskhar should be arrested and punished according to the law, MLC demanded. Addressing the protest, he said many have got education from the Sri Vyasashram founded by Malayala Swamy with an objective to provide education to poor and Dalits in addition to teach Vedas and developed this to run hospitals, hostels, old age homes and free food to many. But soon after the demise of Malayala Swamy, few corrupt persons entered the ashram and defamed the prestigious institution with corruption and anti-social activities, he alleged. The present PRO Amaranatha Reddy is behaving like a monarch and was behind the closure of the hospital, old age home, orphanage, eye hospital and several others, he pointed out. Only four are staying in old age home and maintenance is very poor, he said. Earlier, the Ashram functioned in a satisfactory manner when the TTD and Rashtriya Sanskrit Samsthan extended cooperation and the earlier 'Brahma Vidya Pathasala' transformed into Brahma Vidya Veda Pathasala and was limited to only Brahmins, which is against the principles of Vyasasrmam and to its founder Malayala Swamy, he pointed. Many allegations like sexual harassments and molestation attempts on women studying and staying in the Ashram and misuse of crores of rupees of funds and mismanagement of lands and other properties of the Ashram have come to light. However, no legal action has been taken by government so far, he alleged. He demanded to revive all the facilities at the Ashram with the initiative of government so as to benefit the poor and oppressed people in large scale. Going back to the dates, Malayala Swamy came from Kerala state and established the ashram in 1926 and continued as the chief pontiff till his death in 1966 and his follower Vimalananda Swamy took over the charge and ran it till 1974. Later, Vidyanandagiri Swamy took charge and managed the Ashram till 2008. Later, Paripurnananda Swamy, who was a car driver to Vidyanandagiri Swamy, became the head of the Ashram and side tracked with many allegations.