Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party has demanded the sacking of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu in the wake of his alleged inappropriate videos and pictures doing the rounds on social media, stating that a person with no moral values does not qualify for the pious position he is holding.
The YSR Congress leader and former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said that a man with such perversion should immediately quit office, or Chief Minister Chanrdababu Naidu should sack him to uphold the sanctity of Tirumala.
''Taking refuge under the rhetoric that the video and the pictures were deepfakes will cut no ice, and criminal proceedings should be initiated against him. Instead of bowing out, he is trying to blame YSRCP for the circulation,'' Reddy alleged.
He added that never in the history of TTD have such immoral acts surfaced, and people involved trying to blame it on AI is ridiculous.
In the alleged video, the TTD Chairman can be seen hugging a woman. It is not clear how the two are related. NDTV cannot indepedently verify the authenticity of the video.
The YSRCP said the video has hurt Hindus.
"The exposure is God's punishment to BR Naidu for trying to tarnish the image of our leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy," the YSRCP said.
Meanwhile TTD chairman has called the video being shared ''deepfake/morphed with malicious intent" to tarnish his "reputation and defame'' him.
"I've filed a complaint with Cyber Crime Police and will take legal action against those spreading this propaganda," Naidu said.
"There is nothing immoral or obscene in the actual content - the videos were manipulated. Our families have known each other for decades,'' Naidu added in his defence.
The TTD Chairman said he will quit if the Chief Minister asks him to do so.
"If the Chief Minister tells me to resign, I will do so, but I stand by my innocence," he said.
