The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Sunday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged theft at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’ (TTD) Parakamani, dismissing charges leveled against its leadership. The party accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of distorting facts and using the temple for political and commercial gain.
Addressing the media, former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said the misappropriation of offerings at Parakamani had been occurring for nearly two decades. He maintained that it was only during the tenure of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy that the irregularities came to light.
According to him, accused Ravi Kumar and his family voluntarily surrendered assets worth ₹40 crore as an act of atonement. “It was YSRCP that exposed the theft. The propaganda that our leaders usurped those assets is baseless. We demand a CBI inquiry as we have no faith in CB-CID, whose functioning has been questionable in earlier cases, including liquor scams,” he asserted.
Reddy alleged that the TDP’s campaign machinery had gone overboard in targeting YSRCP. He pointed out that though the theft continued for 20 years, former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, during his three terms, had failed to detect it. “If this had come to light during TDP’s regime, the recovered property would have been taken away by Chandrababu and his coterie. Instead, we restored the assets to Lord Venkateswara,” he said.
He stressed that never in TTD’s history had a family voluntarily returned misappropriated property until the YSRCP term. “The Ravi Kumar family surrendered assets out of devotion. To twist this into a scandal and accuse our leaders, as done by B.R. Naidu and Nara Lokesh, is absurd,” he added.
Seeking transparency, Reddy urged that CCTV footage of activities inside Tirumala be made public. He also accused the current government of failing to expose even recent incidents, such as the reported theft of a gold biscuit.
“Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth in a free and fair manner,” Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said.
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
