The Tirupati Tirumala temple. (naidusudhakar via Twitter)Pilgrims travelling to Tirupati have shared photographs of Hajj and Jerusalem advertisements on Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus tickets, The News Minute has reported.
Hajj is an annual pilgrimage taken by Muslims to Mecca and Jerusalem is a prominent religious spot for Christians, Muslims and Jews.
This advertisement selling a “holy Jerusalem tour” for Christians was published by the Andhra state minority department. As per the advertisement, the tour was available at just half the price. Another ticket sorted an advertisement about the annual Hajj pilgrimage for Muslims offered by the state government.
This led to a sharp backlash from the opposition BJP, with its firebrand MLA Raja Singh demanding action from Andhra Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy. BJP leader G Bhanu Prakash Reddy and fellow party leaders also staged a protest outside APSRTC office.
The Jagan Reddy led state government has claimed in its defence that the tickets were printed during the erstwhile Chandrababu Naidu led TDP government.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.