VIJAYAWADA: People with criminal records should not be appointed to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, the Andhra Pradesh High Court observed on Thursday.
Taking strong exception to the appointment of persons with criminal antecedents as Board members, the court said it would cancel such appointments. The observation was made by a division bench of Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice M Satyanarayana Murthy while hearing a petition by BJP leader G Bhanu Prakash Reddy and others challenging the appointment of such people.
Rejecting TTD senior counsel SS Prasad’s argument that all those appointed to the Board were eligible, the court also directed the government not to hurt the sentiments of the devotees.Petitioner’s counsel N Aswini Kumar had urged the court to declare those with criminal records as ineligible to be appointed as TTD Board members. The bench also heard a petition challenging the appointment of special invitees to the Board.
Government pleader Satya Shivaji and TTD counsel said the government has brought in an ordinance for the appointment of special invitees to the Board and that the Governor’s assent for the same has been awaited. The bench posted the matter for hearing to April 19.TTD chair YV Subba Reddy said they would take steps to make changes to the Board after going through the orders.