A day after taking oath as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu visited the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala on Thursday. Naidu offered prayers at the temple before vowing to "cleanse" the Tirupati-Tirumala administration.
He alleged that there were irregularities in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a trust that oversees the temple, during the Jagan Mohan Reddy regime. The TDP chief said he was committed to eliminating corruption and protecting "Hindu Dharma" in Tirumala.
"I will start the purification of governance from Tirumala. Defiling Tirumala is not acceptable. Only the chanting of Govinda's name will remain in Tirumala," he told reporters.
He alleged that the former state government "commercialised Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam".
"Prasadam should be of good quality, rates shouldn't be increased and tickets for 'Darshan' should not be sold in the black market. They turned this religious place into the centre of marijuana, liquor and non-vegetarian food. Cleansing will start from TTD," Naidu said.
Naidu warned that crimes and corruption would not be tolerated, promising accountability and transparency in governance. "By 2047, the Telugu people will be number one in the world. I will make Andhra Pradesh the number one state in the country. Crime will not be tolerated... Some people are making false accusations against us after committing crimes. Political conspiracies will not be tolerated. We will protect the good and punish the bad," the TDP chief said.
Naidu offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara temple accompanied by his family members.
"My family members are devotees of Lord Tirumala Venkateswara. I visit
the deity before making any major decisions...The Lord saved me earlier when I was attacked by Naxals. I prayed for this state's prosperity. Economic disparities should be removed in the state. My goal is not only to create wealth but also to distribute it to the poor," said Naidu as quoted by India Today.
Naidu was accorded a traditional welcome by the authorities and priests and offered theertham (sacred water) and prasadam.
Following the visit, the CM returned to Amaravati to assume office at the Secretariat.
Naidu was sworn in as the 18th CM of Andhra Pradesh in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Vijayawada on Wednesday.
(With agency inputs)
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