Sat Mar 22 04:10:00 UTC 2025: **Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Orders Transfer of Non-Hindu Employees from Tirumala Temple**
TIRUPATI, Andhra Pradesh – Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced Friday that all non-Hindu employees at the Lord Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala will be transferred to other positions. The move comes nearly two months after the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, which manages the temple, transferred 18 employees for allegedly participating in non-Hindu religious activities.
Naidu stated that the transfers are intended to maintain the temple’s sanctity and respect the religious sentiments of devotees. He assured that the transferred employees, including Christians and Muslims, will be offered alternative positions. He confirmed that currently no non-Hindu employees remain at the Tirumala temple.
In a related move, Naidu cancelled the previous government’s allotment of 35 acres of land in Tirupati to three hotel developers, citing concerns over preserving the temple town’s sanctity and responding to public opposition to the construction of luxury hotels.
Furthermore, Naidu announced plans to establish a trust to fund the construction of Lord Venkateswara temples in villages across Andhra Pradesh and even in the capital cities of all Indian states. This initiative, he said, follows the success of existing TTD programs focused on food and life donation. Letters will be sent to all state chief ministers seeking their cooperation.
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