"Only Govinda's Name In Tirumala": Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu Pledges To Cleanse Tirupati Temple Body

A day after taking oath as the Andhra Pradesh Chief minister for the fourth time, N Chandrababu Naidu pledged to "cleanse" Tirumala, a hill in Tirupati district, which is home to one of the world's wealthiest temples.

"Cleansing in the state will start from Tirumala. In Tirumala, nothing but the chanting of Govinda's name will be heard. It is not right to desecrate the sacred Tirumala," Naidu said on Thursday (13 June).

"When you come to Tirumala, you get the feeling of Vaikuntha. There should be no other slogan on Tirumala except Om Namo Venkatesaya. Tirumala has changed for the worse in the last five years," he added.

The remarks came when Naidu went to Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala. His wife, son Nara Lokesh, daughter-in-law, and other relatives accompanied him for the pligrimage.

Notably, for the five years, when YSR Congress Party president Jagan Mohan Reddy was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) board faced many controversies.

Last year, a controversy erupted over the appointment of MLA Karunakar Reddy, as the chairperson of the TTD as Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) alleged that the MLA is a Christian and does not believe in Hinduism.

Naidu also alleged that there were irregularities in the functioning of the TTD. Among other things, he reiterated his commitment to a poverty-free society and zero tolerance against crime.