TIRUMALA: A controversy erupted at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) after two incidents of alleged staff abuse by newly-appointed trust board members, drawing widespread criticism.
On Tuesday, a TTD employee working at the Varaha Swamy temple was suspended after failing to recognise board member Panabaka Lakshmi as a VIP.
Though the employee was not a gatekeeper but the temple in-charge, he happened to be at the gate when the incident occurred. According to police sources, the suspended employee, described as soft-spoken and innocent, was reportedly driven to the brink of suicide over the suspension.
In another incident on Wednesday, a gatekeeper on duty at Magadhvaram accidentally directed a board member through the way-out gate, triggering the latter’s anger. The board member allegedly scolded and insulted the staff member, creating a scene even as AVSO Surendra Kumar attempted to diffuse the situation.
The incident, captured on video, went viral on social media, intensifying backlash against the board members’ behaviour. The TTD Employees Association and union leaders strongly condemned the actions, stressing that staff were simply following higher authorities’ instructions. The matter has now been reported to senior officials through the vigilance wing, with demands for fair treatment of TTD employees on duty.