In a significant development that has sent ripples through political and religious circles in Andhra Pradesh, prominent Backward Classes (BC) leader and former MLA Janga Krishnamurthy resigned from the prestigious Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board on Friday. He submitted his resignation directly to Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu for approval.
The Reason Behind the Sudden Resignation
Krishnamurthy's decision to step down came as a shock to many within the ruling dispensation and the TTD administration. The trigger was the state cabinet's recent move to cancel a plot of land allotted to him at Tirumala. This land was meant for constructing a guesthouse under the TTD's cottage donation scheme.
In his resignation letter, the BC leader expressed deep anguish over the manner in which the decision was taken. He stated that the cabinet, chaired by the Chief Minister, decided to rescind the allotment orders issued by the TTD trust board primarily based on media reports, without a thorough examination of the actual facts of the case.
Sequence of Events: From Allotment to Cancellation
Janga Krishnamurthy provided a detailed account of the incident in his communication to the CM. He revealed that he had personally requested Chief Minister Naidu to allot Plot No. 2 at Balaji Nagar in Tirumala. He pointed out that this specific plot had been allotted to him in the past but was later cancelled, and it had remained vacant since.
Following his request, the Chief Minister directed the TTD trust board to review the matter. The board subsequently passed a resolution to re-allot the plot to Krishnamurthy and formally communicated this decision to the state government.
Media Reports and Allegations of a Smear Campaign
The situation took a turn when sections of the media began publishing reports on the allotment. Krishnamurthy accused these outlets of running a series of baseless stories without even attempting to contact him for his version. He described these reports as deeply painful and claimed they were published with the sole intention of maligning his reputation.
The former MLA questioned the rationale behind what he perceived as a personal vendetta-driven attack against him. He expressed dismay that the state cabinet chose to overturn the trust board's decision based on these unverified media narratives, bypassing a proper factual inquiry.
A Heavy-Hearted Departure
Expressing his profound disappointment, Janga Krishnamurthy stated that he was resigning from his membership on the TTD trust board with a heavy heart. He appealed to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to accept his resignation, marking a dramatic exit from a key position in one of the country's most revered temple trusts.
This resignation highlights the ongoing tensions and complex interplay between media influence, political decisions, and the administration of religious institutions in the state. The fallout from this move is likely to be discussed extensively in Andhra Pradesh's political corridors in the coming days.
