The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, which manages Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Venkateswara temple, on Tuesday suspended its Assistant Executive Officer A Rajasekhar Babu, noting in a statement that he had been attending local church prayers every Sunday in his hometown of Puttur in Tirupati district.
“It is nothing but a violation of TTD norms as he has not followed the code of conduct of the TTD as an employee of the organisation, and has acted irresponsibly as an employee representing a Hindu religious organisation. In this context, after examining the report submitted by the TTD Vigilance Department and other evidence, departmental action was initiated against him as per the rules, and he was suspended with immediate effect,” the TTD statement said.
TTD sources told The Indian Express that Babu had informed the TTD that he had gone to church only a few times to meet some friends.
When contacted, Babu told The Indian Express that he performed his duty with integrity and always upheld the traditions of the TTD. “As a senior TTD member, if someone invited me to a temple or a church, I went there. It does not matter which faith or religion I follow. I always did my best to stick to the TTD rules,” Babu said.
TTD sources said this is in line with the Board’s stand not to allow any non-Hindu to work in the TTD, especially in temples governed and managed by it.
After the Telugu Desam Party-led NDA government came to power last June, the TTD transferred several non-Hindu employees from various positions. In February, the TTD Board transferred 18 employees who were practising and participating in non-Hindu religious activities.
They included six teachers at various TTD educational institutes, a deputy executive officer (welfare), an assistant executive officer, an assistant technical officer (electrical), a hostel worker, two electricians, and two nurses.
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On November 18, in its maiden meeting of the TTD under new chairman B R Naidu, the board had also decided to ban political speeches.
