TTD sacks honorary chief priest ‘Pink Diamond’ Ramana Deekshithulu ending another bout of histrionics

TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) governing council on Monday sacked AV Ramana Deekshitulu for his alleged unsavoury comments against the TTD, the Government, the Ahobilam Math, priests, and Jeeyars.

The Governing Council discussed the issue of Deekshithulu who said to have addressed media alleging unsocial activities in Tirumala. In a video that went viral on social media, the senior priest said that Christianity was spreading rapidly on the hills.

He said that the Chief Minister being a Christian himself and the EO Dharma Reddy being a Christian the religion was spreading faster on the seven hills. He also pointed out that Dharma Reddy’s son was buried as per Christian belief. Following his outbursts a case was also registered against him at the Tirumala police station.

Taking to X he tried to deny the reports saying that it was not his voice. “I was shocked to see a video on Facebook where I am passing derogatory remarks on temple activities and the present EO. That was not my voice, and people jealous of me did this cheap trick to defame me and to spoil my positive relationship with TTD administration,” he said.

Pink Diamond issue

Not new to controversies, Ramana Deekshitulu, created a flutter when he commented in 2018 that the then Chief Minister was behind the disappearance of the pink diamond of the lord that was worth crores of rupees. He said that the diamond went missing in 2001 and a similar one was put to auction in Geneve in 2028. He alleged that several of the priceless gifts donated by the devotees went missing from the temple.

Following the allegations the then EO Anil Kumar Singhal addressed the media and denied allegations. He said that registers of the gifts were well maintained and were open for scrutiny.

Deekshitulu also opposed the retirement of 20 hereditary priests during the tenure of Naidu. He met YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2018 and urged him to ensure that he was reinstated after the Naidu Government sacked him along with two more priests from duties. After YS Jagan came to power he was given the honorary post and was asked to supervise the implementation of ‘Agama Sastra’ rules in the temple.

Deekshitulu vs YS Subba Reddy

He was at loggerheads with the TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy for not slapping quarantine measures in Tirumala during covid-19. He tweeted that TTD EO and AEO were refusing to stop darshans even after 25 of the priests were reported to have tested positive.

However, Subba Reddy opined that Deekshitulu should have brought the issue to the notice of the TTD board rather than taking to Twitter causing panic among the devotees.