TIRUMALA: Acting tough on those hurting the sentiments of devotees, the Tirumala police on Saturday registered cases against several individuals, including Tamil film actor Shiv Kumar, for claiming anti-social activities are happening in Tirumala, and asking people not to visit. Shiv Kumar is the father of prominent Tamil actors Suriya and Karthi.
According to the FIR registered against Shiv Kumar on a complaint from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) vigilance wing vigilance inspector V Subramanyam Reddy, the actor spread false propaganda against the Tirumala temple. The complaint was lodged based on a YouTube video sent by a person, Tamil Manyan, on April 28.
In the speech, made in Tamil, Shiv Kumar said he never visited any temple because of the stark differences between the rich and poor. He said a devotee, after 48 days of vratam (deeksha), left from Katpadi to Tirumala by walk, drinking water only on the auspicious days of Radhotsavam. “There were serpentine queues of pilgrims, and after making eight rounds in the queue and after four days, he reached the main temple but was pushed outside.
Whereas, a rich man visited Tirumala and was allotted a guest house where he resorted to illegal activities, and the next morning, visited the temple without having a bath, and was welcomed with Kumbha Harathi,” Shiv Kumar said in the speech, as per the FIR. It added that in the video, Shiv Kumar spread false propaganda against the Tirumala temple by alleging illegal activities are going on there, and advised people not to visit it, thereby hurting devotees’ sentiments. The Tirumala police booked him under Sections 500 and 505(1)B of the IPC.
Cases against Tamil actor
Similarly, they registered a case against a person who claimed on Facebook that eminent social worker Sudha Narayanamurthy resigned from the TTD Trust Board. Besides them, three persons — Macherla Srinivasulu, Prashant and Mungara Shivraj — were booked for spreading fake news that Srivari darshan would remain suspended till June 30.
They operate Way2News, a short news App, Godavari News WhatsApp, Tirupati Vaarta News, and have been booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Similarly, on www.facebook.com/atheisttelugu/ a report was uploaded on May 7, claiming the Srivari temple in Tirumala was originally a Buddhist shrine with a huge Buddha statue that was destroyed and converted into a Sri Venkateswara idol. The post also alleged tonsuring was a Buddhist, not Hindu, tradition. The operators of the Facebook page have also been booked based on a complaint by the TTD.
‘Hurt sentiments of devotees’
Shiv Kumar claimed illegal activities are going on in Tirumala, and advised people not to visit the temple, thereby hurting devotees’ sentiments, the FIR said