AP Minister's men create ruckus in Tirumala temple

TIRUMALA: Andhra Pradesh Minister of Animal Husbandry Seediri Appalraju insisted for a special 'darshan' of Lord Venkateswara at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam leading to a chaos at the pilgrimage.

The TTD officials allowed him and 150 of his followers to visit the temple for the 'special darshan' leaving the regular devotees displeased.

"I visited the temple to pray for the flood-hit people. Our visit did not cause any problem to anybody else's visit," claimed the Minister.

He said, "In the month of July, there was an unexpected early flood. Due to this, people are facing hardships in many districts. This is very painful. The Polavaram project is responsible for floods in Tirumala. However, it is being used as propaganda by many. I prayed to God to remove the obstacles in the project's completion. In this flood situation, the grace of God and the effort put in by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy gave people courage and assurance. The Chief Minister went from door to door and showed support to families."