Bhumana slams Naidu over Tirumala politics

Former TTD Chairman and YSRCP spokesperson Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of exploiting Lord Venkateswara for political gains. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Bhumana alleged that Naidu, despite portraying himself as a devotee, lacks true faith and has undermined Sanatan Dharma by making misleading statements in the deity’s presence.
He criticized Naidu and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan for branding the Srivani Trust as corrupt while in opposition. Bhumana pointed out that the trust was established during the TDP regime and flourished under YSRCP, funding 3,600 temples across the country. A vigilance probe conducted after the coalition government assumed office found no irregularities. Despite this, he said, Naidu plans to continue the trust while proposing another fund for temple construction, a move Bhumana termed as hypocritical.
Referring to Naidu’s claim of resolving a water crisis in Tirumala within 90 days by threatening officials with arrest, Bhumana challenged him to reveal who suggested closing the temple. He also questioned the appointment of TTD Executive Officer Shyamala Rao for a “cleansing” drive, only for Naidu to later contradict Rao’s findings on laddoo prasadam.
Bhumana asserted that key temple reforms—providing free meals to all devotees and restricting non-Hindus from temple employment—were introduced by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, not Naidu. He also alleged that Naidu falsely took credit for cancelling the Oberoi and Devalok hotel projects in Tirumala, which were initially approved by the TDP government and later scrapped due to protests from religious groups.
Expressing concerns over governance at TTD, Bhumana accused the current EO of acting with political bias and intimidating shopkeepers who support YSRCP. He also criticized Naidu’s approach to temple administration, claiming that his focus on tourism development and VIP darshan was sidelining the interests of common devotees, who endure long waits for darshan.