TIRUMALA: TTD trust board chairperson YV Subba Reddy on Saturday said he had never suggested or indicated withdrawal of mandatory signing of declaration form for non-Hindus seeking darshan of Lord Venkateshwara.
Reiterating that he was against any political dialogue in Tirumala, he said he had only responded to the charges made by an opposition leader on TTD during a press briefing held on Friday. “I told the media that thousands of pilgrims come to Tirumala from across the world. Normally, 80,000 to one lakh pilgrims, including those of other faiths, visit the temple for Srivari darshan.
And it is humanly impossible to mandatorily seek declaration of faith and belief from all non-Hindus,” he said. The chairperson said he only said that neither Congress president Sonia Gandhi nor late Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy had ever given such a declaration during their visits to Tirumala. As per TTD general rules, only Hindus are allowed darshan. Non-Hindus, who wish to have darshan, have to inform the TTD about their religion and declare the same in the form, according to rule No. 137.
Many non-Hindu politicians visited Tirumala and had darshan without signing the declaration form. “Hence I just said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy need not have to sign the declaration to prove his faith in Lord Venkateswara,” he added.
Jagan started his Praja Sankalpa Yatra after seeking the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. After completing his padayatra, he reached Tirumala on foot and had darshan of the Lord again. When he won the elections, he came to Tirumala. “These are clear instances to show Jagan’s faith in Lord Venkateswara. That is why I had said that the Chief Minister need not have to sign any declaration to visit the temple for darshan of Lord Venkateswara,’’ Subba Reddy said.