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TTD Board Challenges Union Minister’s Claim of 1,000 Non-Hindu Employees

The Andhra Pradesh government is preparing to reassign non-Hindu employees following board members’ rejection of the minister’s 1,000-strong claim

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Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that Tirumala belongs to Hindus. If non-Hindus or foreigners want to visit the deity, a faith declaration is mandatory.
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Overview

  • Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on July 11 urged the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to remove over 1,000 non-Hindu staff, calling their presence at the temple body a violation of Hindu dharma.
  • Former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and current board members insist only 22 non-Hindu employees remain and have demanded evidence for the minister’s allegation.
  • The TTD board has launched an internal review to verify all staff eligibility under Government Orders G.O.Ms No. 1060 (1989) and G.O.Ms No. 1372 (2007), which restrict recruitment to Hindus.
  • Andhra Pradesh’s government under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reaffirmed plans to transfer non-Hindu TTD employees to other departments or offer them voluntary retirement.
  • The row underscores ongoing tensions between religious eligibility rules, administrative policy and political intervention in the governance of one of Hinduism’s most significant temples.