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3w ago

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Suspends Officer for Attending Church Prayers

It underscores the trust’s strict enforcement of a decades-old code requiring staff to follow only Hindu traditions.

Representational image | ANI
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Overview

  • TTD suspended A. Rajasekhar Babu on July 8 after a Vigilance Department report and video evidence showed him attending Sunday church services.
  • The trust enforces Rule 9(vi) of G.O. Ms. No. 1060, issued in 1989, which obliges employees to pledge adherence solely to Hindu dharma and practices.
  • This move follows February disciplinary action against 18 non-Hindu employees who were barred or reassigned for practising other religious customs.
  • Since its November 2024 board resolution, TTD has offered transfers or voluntary retirement to non-Hindu staff as it pursues a Hindu-only workforce policy.
  • Critics and legal challengers argue the enforcement drive infringes on religious freedom within the administration of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.