Published Mar 04, 2026 | 12:30 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 04, 2026 | 12:30 PM
TTD chairman BR Naidu speaking to the media.
Synopsis: Recently, a viral video of TTD chairman BR Naidu created controversy. Even though he initially claimed the video was a deepfake, he later admitted that parts of it were genuine. Now, the onus is on the Andhra Pradesh government to remove him from the post to adhere to the high moral standard that the temple administration is expected to have.
A sleazy video has put not only the chairman of an important temple board in the dock over moral turpitude, but also landed the TDP government in Andhra Pradesh in the eye of a brewing religious and political storm.
With the mounting public outcry over the issue, the clamour for the sacking of the chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), who featured in a scandalous video and the Opposition YSRCP going for the jugular, the TDP leadership appears to be scrambling in vain for a damage control strategy. Their silence, obviously, is not helping.
Initially, efforts were made to dismiss it as a deepfake, but soon it became evident that it was untenable. Eventually, the TTD Chairman had to grudgingly confirm that it was partly genuine but tried to wriggle out, saying it was partly morphed and there was nothing vulgar or inappropriate about it.
While it is true that a person’s intimate life should not be dragged into the public domain, in this instance, questions are being raised mainly because of the position he holds and how it would affect the religious sentiments of believers.
Equally important is the argument that a person with questionable integrity in personal life will be prone to malfeasance in administration and governance in professional life.
The temple at Tirumala is highly revered by millions of people, not only from the two Telugu-speaking states but also from other states across the country. Devotees put in enormous effort and undergo tremendous hardships just to get a fleeting glimpse of the deity to seek the fulfilment of their prayers.
The expectation, therefore, would be that important persons associated with the temple adhere to high moral standards and in the event of a reported breach, the government will promptly act.
Speculations are rife regarding why the hands of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu are tied. More so, when TDP, which is in alliance with the BJP, has been quite strident in the past when it came to issues relating to the “sanctity of the Temple” and “sentiments of Hindus”.
Questions are naturally being raised about the inexplicable clout of BR Naidu, who describes himself as a businessman and a media baron, and how he acquired it. The obvious inferences are more likely than not to dent the carefully curated image of the chief minister.
The temple, unfortunately, has been mired in more than one controversy in recent times, and political parties were quick to add fuel or ghee to the fire.
The TDP did not hesitate to drag the temple into a messy political controversy by a spate of allegations relating to the alleged use of animal fat in the sacred prasadam during the YSRCP administration.
Eventually, a CBI-led special investigation found only synthetic adulteration, but not of animal fat. If the government could blacklist the supplier of adulterated ghee, why is it baulking at removing the board chairman whose moral values are suspect?
In such a backdrop, it is reasonable to expect the TDP to appoint a person who, like the proverbial Caesar’s wife, should be above suspicion and at the first hint of any shadow of doubt or impropriety or moral lapses and flaws to take the required action to purge the administration of such persons.
In matters of religion and faith, the administration cannot be seen to be condoning a deficiency in moral probity.
