Jagan postpones Tirupati visit after demand to declare faith; ‘don't know what stopped him’, says Naidu

The controversy over the Tirupati laddus on Friday (September 27) spiralled into an ugly spat between Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor and YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Hours after Jagan postponed his trip to the Tirupati Lord Venkateshwara Temple, alleging that leaders and workers of his party were issued notices by the police warning them not to visit the temple, Naidu rebutted the allegations.

Pressure to declare faith

Jagan, who was slated to visit the shrine as part of his call for prayers to atone for the alleged sin of Naidu of having made the allegations about adulteration in Tirupati laddus, postponed it amid growing demand by NDA allies in the state to declare his faith before entering the shrine.

Hours before Jagan's tour, Naidu appealed that every visitor to deity Sri Venkateswara Swamy must follow the rules and refrain from hurting devotees' sentiments.

Rules at the temple mandate foreigners and non-Hindus to declare their reverence for Lord Venkateswara to have a darshan of the presiding deity at the hill shrine.

Reacting to Jagan's decision to postpone his trip, Naidu said every religious place has its traditions and customs and whoever wishes to visit a place of worship should respect the norms followed there.

Also read: AP: Jagan's Tirumala visit may fuel tensions as NDA insists he declares his faith

‘Don’t know who stopped him’ says Naidu

The chief minister said Jagan's stand of him having earlier visited the Tirumala shrine earlier by not 'signing the declaration' form affirming his faith in the presiding deity does not entitle him to repeat it.

“I don’t know what reason he (Jagan) had to avoid his Tirumala tour, but he was claiming as if he was prevented and issued notices. I am asking you straight. Have you been given any notices? Did anybody ask you not to go there?” Naidu asked.

He said there were reports that YSRCP was spreading information to mobilise people for Jagan's visit, forcing police to impose restrictions.

“Traditions and customs should be respected. No person is greater than the traditions and customs,” he said.

‘Kingdom of demons’

Jagan, while announcing the postponement of his temple visit, had also dubbed Naidu's rule as "Rakshasa Rajyam" (kingdom of demons) while attacking the BJP for allegedly turning a blind eye on the laddu issue.

He reiterated that the ghee which was rejected by the TTD on the account of quality issues was never used in making the laddu prasadam (consecrated food, sweet in this case).

Also read: Tirupati laddu row: Andhra govt appoints SIT to probe alleged adulteration

"On one side, all our people are being issued notices threatening that they (police) will file cases. On the other side they are bringing BJP people from the neighbouring state to create a law and order problem and a religious issue to cover up Chandrababu's misdeed,” he said.

"As a person who respects and loves Venkateswara Swamy, I do not want to go there and divert the topic. So I am postponing my tour," he said without announcing any fresh date of visit.

Naidu covering up failures with laddu issue: Jagan

Reddy said everyone in the country knows his religion and he has visited Tirumala temple several times even before becoming the chief minister.

He said though he reads the Bible within four walls, he respects Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.

TV channels were showing that thousands of police personnel were deployed in Tirupati to prevent his leaders from going to the temple.

"In order to divert the failures of his (Chandrababu Naidu) 100 days rule and to divert attention, Chandrababu Naidu brought up the Laddu issue. To cover up his failures on the Laddu issue, he came up with the faith declaration issue. He intentionally planted seeds of doubts on the Laddu quality," Jagan said.

‘Not my first time at Tirumala’

"I had the opportunity to offer silk robes to Lord Venkateswara Swamy for five years (as chief minister). I can understand it. It is not my first time (Tirumala visit)," he said.

Naidu had last week alleged the use of substandard ghee and presence of animal fat in the famous Tirupati laddus during the previous YSRCP regime.

(With inputs from agencies)