'Following a vigilance report and review of supporting evidence, disciplinary action was taken as per rules, leading to their immediate suspension,' the TTD said.
Published Jul 19, 2025 | 8:30 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 19, 2025 | 8:30 PM
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay said hundreds of non-Hindus are working in Tirumala, who have no place in a sacred space. He called for their immediate removal.
Synopsis: The TTD suspended four of its employees for following Christianity, which the temple governing body said was a violation of its code of conduct.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has suspended four of its employees for allegedly violating its code of conduct by following a non-Hindu faith.
The decision, announced on Saturday, 19 July, follows a vigilance report and internal review. Citing provisions under the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, the TTD has been actively identifying and transferring non-Hindu employees from its workforce.
The move has received political backing from BJP leaders, including Union Minister Bandi Sanjay, who welcomed the suspensions while urging further action.
TTD is the governing body of the temples of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala and Lord Balaji at Tirupati.
The TTD announced its decision to suspend the four employees on X. “The employees were reportedly following the Christian faith, which violates the code of conduct expected from staff working in a Hindu religious institution like TTD,” the post read.
“Following a vigilance report and review of supporting evidence, disciplinary action was taken as per rules, leading to their immediate suspension,” it continued.
The four employees are:
However, this is not an isolated incident. The TTD has been pushing to “purge” its workforce of any non-Hindu personnel for some time now. In March 2025, the TTD Trust Board formally adopted a resolution, barring non-Hindu employees from working at its temples.
In February, it identified 18 employees who did not follow Hinduism. Assuring seamless transfers, they informed the employees that they would not be working for the TTD anymore. The move was seen as complying with the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act of 1987. The Sections which allow the actions are as follows:
As part of these efforts to, as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had put it on 24 March, “protect the sanctity” of TTD, another officer was suspended earlier this month. Assistant Executive Officer A Rajasekhar Babu was suspended following allegations that he regularly attended the church every Sunday in his hometown.
TTD suspends 4 employees for allegedly following a non-Hindu faith, citing violation of institutional code.
Following vigilance reports and internal probe, action was taken for failing to uphold duties in a Hindu religious institution.#TTD #Tirumala pic.twitter.com/4RTYTWH4n3
— Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (@TTDevasthanams) July 19, 2025
Following the TTD’s post, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and the BJP’s Karimnagar MP, Bandi Sanjay, also posted on X, welcoming the suspension. “As per our demand, we welcome TTD’s decision to suspend the four employees. But this is just the beginning,” he stated.
“There are still hundreds of non-Hindus working in Tirumala who have no place in a sacred space. They must be removed immediately. The sanctity of the temple cannot be compromised,” he continued.
As per our demand, we welcome @TTDevasthanams’s decision to suspend the four employees. But this is just the beginning.
There are still hundreds of non-Hindus working in Tirumala who have no place in a sacred space. They must be removed immediately. The sanctity of the temple… https://t.co/VZHsqVoi2r
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) July 19, 2025
Similarly, the BJP’s Andhra Pradesh X account also addressed the suspension. “In five years, by appointing people of other faiths as employees in TTD, YSRCP has damaged the temple’s sanctity. Correcting those mistakes, the NDA government is protecting TTD’s traditions and the faith of devotees,” it held.
ఐదేళ్లలో అన్య మతస్థులను టీటీడీలో ఉద్యోగులుగా నియమించి @YSRCParty ఆలయ ప్రతిష్ఠను దెబ్బ తీసింది. ఆ తప్పులను సరిదిద్దుతూ ఎన్డీఏ ప్రభుత్వం టీటీడీ ఆచారాలను, భక్తుల నమ్మకాన్ని కాపాడుతోంది.#NDA4Andhra #TTD #Tirumala pic.twitter.com/YNSXOJlOah
— BJP ANDHRA PRADESH (@BJP4Andhra) July 19, 2025
With Bandi Sanjay’s call to action and the TTD’s rule enforcement drive, it remains to be seen how many more employees might be suspended.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
