Hyderabad: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’ (TTD’s) decision to bar 18 non-Hindu employees from temple service has triggered a political slugfest, with AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi questioning BJP ally Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP’s) stand on the controversial Waqf Bill, which last month cleared the joint parliamentary committee hurdle.
NDA partners—TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh and BJP’s Andhra Pradesh vice-president Vishnu Vardhan Reddy—have defended the temple board’s decision to keep the non-Hindu employees away from rituals and other religious activities.
In an X post Wednesday, Owaisi questioned the NDA’s principal partner and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s stand on the amended waqf law and sought to know why his TDP had supported “BJP’s Waqf Bill in the Joint Working Committee”.
It is being reported that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has identified 18 employees that are not following Hindu traditions or are non-Hindu. TTD argues that since it is a Hindu institution, non-Hindus shouldn’t be employed by it. We have no objection to it. But @ncbn should…
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 5, 2025
While stating that he has no objection to the TTD’s decision, “since the argument is, it’s a Hindu institution and non-Hindus should not be employed”, Owaisi mentioned TDP’s support for the waqf law, calling it Naidu’s hypocrisy.
Take a look at the AP Hindu Endowments Act: a Trustee cannot be a non-Hindu; no Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner etc can be a non-Hindu; even the inspector under Section 12 cannot be a non-Hindu. The Act under section 96 says the same thing about TTD
Now what is the Waqf…
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 5, 2025
“The Bill mandates a minimum of two non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Board. The Bill also removes the requirement that the Council and the Board should have a majority of Muslims,” the Hyderabad MP said in his post.
Referring to the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, Owaisi further posted that under the law, “a Trustee cannot be a non-Hindu; no Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner etc can be a non-Hindu; even the inspector under Section 12 cannot be a non-Hindu. The Act under Section 96 says the same thing about TTD.”
“If only Hindus should govern Hindu Endowments, and only Hindus should be employees. Then why this discrimination against Muslim Waqfs? Hypocrisy in broad daylight,” Owaisi said on X, tagging Naidu’s social media handle.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Nara Lokesh defended the TTD action, saying there can be no second thoughts on the decision “as it involves religious sentiments”.
“We will fight it out (in the courts) if there are any legal challenges to the decision,” he added.
Lokesh, who is also the state minister for HRD and IT, said that barring non-Hindu employees from Hindu temple activities “is the stand of the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh”.
“We spoke about it before the polls and we stand by it. We will take it to (a) logical conclusion,” he told the media.
Lokesh even said that “Hindus are not allowed to work in a mosque” in a bid to fortify the TTD’s decision.
The TTD, which administers the world-famous Lord Venkateswara temple in Andhra Pradesh, operates under the aegis of the state government, now being led by the TDP, Jana Sena Party and BJP in a coalition.
The BJP also objected to Owaisi’s remarks, saying waqf land administration and sacred rituals of utmost sentimental value inside Hindu temples are not the same.
“Can Owaisi show one masjid, where non-Hindus, non-adherents to Islam, organise religious activities like namaz, or are in the trusts running the mosques?” said Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, speaking to ThePrint Thursday.
“The employees barred by TTD gave false affidavits to gain jobs and managed to remain in employment for many years too while practising non-Hindu faiths like Christianity,” he added.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y.S. Sharmila has not yet reacted on the TTD decision.
Also Read: Naidu’s ‘animal fat’ in Tirupati laddu claim sets off political row, YSRCP denies allegation
The TTD action
In a memo issued Saturday, TTD barred 18 employees from religious and spiritual activities of the shrine. They, however, will continue in TTD employment, going by the order.
After the first meeting of the newly reconstituted TTD board was held at Tirumala in November, its new chairman B.R. Naidu announced that the temple trust had approved a resolution in favour of allowing all non-Hindu employees to either take voluntary retirement or be absorbed into the workforce in the Tirupati municipality or other suitable state government departments.
Saturday’s disciplinary action was in response to the employees’ alleged adherence to non-Hindu faiths and at the same time, “also taking part in Hindu religious fairs, festivals and functions conducted by the TTD, which impacts the sanctity, sentiments and beliefs of crores of Hindu devotees”.
The memo, a copy of which is with ThePrint, observed that the identified employees had previously sworn that they would not follow non-Hindu religious activities in compliance with the endowments and TTD rules.
“It has been proved that the following (18) TTD employees are practising and participating in non-Hindu religious activities, though they have taken the oath before the photograph/idol of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy stating that they will follow the Hindu dharma (religion) and Hindu traditions only,” said TTD executive officer Syamala Rao in the memo.
The employment of non-Hindus in temple service has been a raging issue at the TTD for over a decade.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: How Modi govt is proposing to amend Waqf Act & why critics call it harbinger of ‘Collector Raj’
