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.