- Four TTD employees were suspended for practising religions other than Hinduism
- TTD mandates Hindu faith adherence for all employees, rule reinforced since 2007
- Non-Hindu employees to be transferred or offered voluntary retirement by TTD Board
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the administrative body that oversees the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh's Tirumala, suspended four employees on Saturday over allegations that they were following religions other than Hinduism, which is a direct violation of the institution's code of conduct.
The TTD's decision comes in the wake of internal inquiries and a report submitted by its Vigilance Department. The employees' alleged practice of non-Hindu religious faiths is considered a breach of the institution's code of conduct, which mandates that individuals employed within the TTD system must adhere to the tenets of the Hindu faith in both conduct and practice.
"In this context, after examining the report submitted by the TTD Vigilance Department, action was taken against them as per the rules and the four employees were immediately suspended," stated a press release issued by the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of TTD, Tirupati.
The TTD has a long-standing rule, reinforced in 2007, which mandates only Hindu employees for its workforce.
Bhanu Prakash, BJP TTD Board member supported the suspension and alleged that these employees lacked faith in Hinduism. He said they were using the deity's resources while maintaining faith in other religions. He said that their struggle would continue until the last non-Hindu employee is removed.
In a meeting chaired by TTD Chairman B R Naidu, the Board decided to transfer the non-Hindu employees to other government departments or offer them voluntary retirement (VRS).
Earlier this July, the Board had suspended its Assistant Executive Officer (AEO) with immediate effect for allegedly practising another faith in his hometown in Tirupati district.
In February this year, the TTD Board took action against 18 non-Hindu employees, who allegedly followed other religions despite taking an oath to uphold and follow the Hindu faith when they joined.
All of them were barred from taking part in religious activity of the temple and take a transfer to positions that are not connected to the temple.
