TIRUPATI/VIJAYAWADA: Allegations over the deaths of more than 100 cows at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Goshala have triggered a political face-off between the YSRCP and the ruling NDA partner BJP.
YSRCP leader and former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged that in the past three months, several sacred indigenous cows such as Sahiwal and Giri breeds have died due to illness and a lack of proper feed.
He blamed TTD authorities for neglecting Goshala maintenance and criticised the appointment of a Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) as the in-charge director, citing the officer’s lack of experience in cattle management. He accused the TTD Board and officials of being preoccupied with serving the ruling party, instead of focusing on cow welfare.
He raised concerns over the inadequate care of calves and pregnant cows, poor sanitary conditions, and mismanagement of fodder distribution.
He also cited the incident of a Sahiwal cow and its calf dying after straying onto a railway track and being hit by a train, calling it further evidence of negligence.
In a pointed attack, he questioned the silence of Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan—sarcastically referring to him as ‘Pavananda Swamy’ who had previously vowed to protect Hindu Dharma and the sanctity of TTD.
Bhumana alleged that no post-mortems were conducted to determine the causes of death and that the TTD made no attempts to uncover the truth.
BJP, TTD deny allegations, call them baseless
In response, BJP State spokesperson and TTD board member Bhanu Prakash Reddy dismissed Bhumana’s claims as ‘completely false’. He admitted that a few cows had died due to illness, which he said is a common occurrence in Goshalas across India. “The claim that more than 100 cows have died is absurd and baseless,” he said, adding that TTD is taking utmost care of the animals at its Goshala. He accused the former TTD chairman of leveling allegations purely to malign the TTD Board and the State government.
Bhanu Prakash Reddy challenged Bhumana to visit the Goshala in person. “If he has the courage, let him come tomorrow. I will show him the actual records,” he said.
TTD also issued an official statement, labeling the social media claims as misinformation. It stated that the cows shown in viral posts did not belong to TTD.