Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu: Only Hindus Should Be Working at Tirumala Temple

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] March 21: On Friday, Chandrababu Naidu the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, announces that the Tirumala Temple should only hire Hindus.

"Only Hindus should work at the Tirumala Temple." ANI disclosed the CM as stating, "If people of different beliefs are working there now, they will be moved to other places without hurting their emotions."

The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh also said that Venkateswara Swamy temples would be made in towns of all Indian states.

As reported by the Hindustan Times, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is in charge of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala, dismissed 18 employees last month because they were allegedly performing Christianity even though they had taken an oath to follow Hindu dharma and customs.

The order said that the 18 workers, who were Christians by faith and worked for TTD as lecturers, hostel workers, office staff members, engineers, helpers, nurses, and other medical staff in different schools, could not go to any sacred or spiritual events that the board placed together.

At the November 18, 2024 meeting of the TTD trust board, it came out that non-Hindus who were working in different roles in temple leadership would be passed over to the government. A study from 2018 claims that 44 people of other religions work for the TTD.

Naidu on the "Mumtaz Hotel" incident

Naidu also talked about the discussion over building the "Mumtaz Hotel" at the base of one of the seven holy hills on Friday.

Naidu said that permission had already been given for the Mumtaz Hotel to be built next to the spot. ANI states that the government has now chosen to take back the permit for the hotel, which was meant to be built on 35.32 acres of land.

The Andhra CM said that businesses shouldn't be built near the Seven Mountains

"Permission had already been given for the Mumtaz Hotel to be raised next to the area." The government had given permission for the hotel to be built on 35.32 acres of land, but they have now chosen to take that away. "No company should be set up near the Seven Hills of Tirumala," the CM said.The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) had earlier asked that the land given to Mumtaz Hotel in the Alipiri area next to the Tirumala temple be taken back.

A decision was made by the temple's trust board at a meeting in November 2024.

BR Naidu, head of TTD, said that the plan for the Mumtaz Hotel to be next to the temple is "unacceptable."

"The government gave land to Tourism to build the Devalokam project." It was changed by the last government and given to Mumtaz Hotel...It's right next to the Temple. "So, it is extremely offensive to Hindus," BR Naidu was reported by ANI as saying.