Andhra Pradesh High Court dismisses plea challenging CM Reddy’s entering Tirupati temple

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has dismissed a plea filed against several Cabinet Ministers and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for visiting the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam Temple being a non-Hindu.

A single judge-bench of Justice Battu Devanand noted, “Recently, the respondent has participated in the prayers in a gurdwara at Vijayawada. Can he be treated as professing the “Sikh” religion? Does one become a “Christian” just by having a biblical name or just by attending a Church sermon? Can one be called as a ‘Christian’ just because they read the Bible or have the Crucifix in their house? Admittedly, the answer will be negative.”

The petition has been filed by Alokam Sudhakar Babu under Rule 136 of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindus Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 alleging that the Chief Minister is Christian by religion and has violated the state’s law by entering the temple without giving a declaration.

Under Rule 136, non-Hindus are only allowed inside the temple when permission for the same is granted to them.

However, the bench directed, “In the opinion of this Court, he entered the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam’s temples, in the capacity of the Chief Minister of the State, as a representative of the people of the state, and as such, he need not submit a declaration as provided under Rule 136 of the Rules.”

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