TIRUPATI: With Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy recently admitting in the House that he owned 1,000 acres in Kondur hills near Rajampet in Kadapa, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raked up a new controversy.

The party has breathed life into the `church on Tirumala' issue by accusing the Government of planning to build a church on YSR's property. "This hill is in the Seshachalam ranges, of which Tirumala is a part. Any such move will be effectively countered," BJP's State secretary MVSS Prabhakar said. The party also warned the Congress Government not to build any `clandestine structures' on the hill as it could hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Case of other faiths

Mr. Prabhakar is touring religious places like Srisailam, Srikalahasti, Tirupati, Tiruthani (Tamil Nadu) etc. on Christmas week to see if proselytisation is going on near these temples.

At a media conference here on Tuesday, he insisted that propagation of other faiths was going on in the vicinity of temples of repute, albeit not at an `alarming pace', and wanted the Government to issue guidelines on how far from the temple such activities can be organised.

He also accused the Government of deliberately not tabling in the just-concluded winter session a bill enabling the accession of all the seven hills to Tirumala and bringing an act prohibiting propagation of other faiths in this cluster.

TTD draws flak

The party lambasted the TTD for its overt appeal not to visit Tirumala during the year-end. The TTD had appealed to the VIPs not to plan a visit during the year-end as the hill-town would see heavy rush for Vaikunta Ekadasi and New Year.

"The whole month, i.e., Dhanurmasam for Tamils and Pushyamasam for Telugus, is auspicious. Moreover, Vaikunta Ekadasi is a very important festival for every Hindu. While issuing passes to the VIPs on one hand, such appeals by the management appear to be aimed at the common man," Mr. Prabhakar pointed out and wondered whether Mecca or Sabarimala Board had ever issued such calls to the Hajis/swamis.

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