Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 11 : YSR Congress Party State Spokesperson Karumuri Venkata Reddy criticised the Andhra Pradesh government for engineering a "systematic conspiracy" to plunder temple and endowment lands, stating that GO No.15 was deliberately issued to hand over highly valuable properties to ruling party-linked interests under the guise of religious institutions.
As per a release, speaking to the media at the YSRCP Central Office, Karumuri Reddy said the new order completely dilutes earlier safeguards under GO No.426, which mandated public auctions, and now permits leasing and extension of temple lands merely on application, without open bidding, thereby institutionalising corruption and backdoor allotments.
He pointed out that the Endowments Department controls nearly 4.67 lakh acres, including about 4,244 acres of prime urban land worth Rs. 40-50 crore per acre, and alleged that these assets are being targeted for systematic capture.
The YSRCP leader questioned how a government that claims to protect Sanatana Dharma could approve such a decision, criticising the Deputy Chief Minister for remaining silent despite being part of the Cabinet that cleared the order.
Karumuri further stated that while the government claimed to cancel an earlier allotment to an Oberoi-linked hotel on spiritual grounds, it subsequently allotted an even more valuable 25-acre parcel near Alipiri and Srivari Divya Mukha Dwaram to the same group, exposing what he termed the deception of devotees.
He also referred to recent allotments of TTD land at throwaway prices, asserting that properties worth hundreds and even thousands of crores were being handed over for a fraction of their value.
Reddy stated that since the coalition assumed power, repeated incidents across temples, including at Tirumala, Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada, Simhachalam, and Govindaraja Swamy Temple, such as power cuts during heavy pilgrim presence, contamination of offerings, inappropriate activities inside temple premises, electric shocks to devotees, and the liquor bottle controversy, show a grave erosion of temple sanctity.
He accused the government of committing these failures while falsely branding YSRCP as anti-Hindu to divert attention.
Karumuri Venkata Reddy challenged Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to agree to a CBI inquiry into all attacks, lapses, irregularities, and alleged land plunder involving temples over the last 18 months, stating that only an independent probe could expose the truth behind what he described as organised spiritual and institutional sabotage.