HPI
DELHI, INDIA, July 24, 2005: Sri T. Ravi, Assistant Public Relations Officer at Tirupati Temple told Hindu Press International correspondent Rajiv Malik that a story in circulation about the temple selling land to allow construction of a Christian church at the famed Hindu temple site was completely false. The charges had even led to protests in Houston, Texas, reported here.
That report reads in part, “Agitated by media reports emanating from India that the Andhra Pradesh Government was actively considering the application of a religious society to build a church atop the Tirumala Hills, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, these Indo-American organizations held an emergency meeting at Houston on Saturday (July 16) to discuss the issue. Even though the news has been denied by the Andhra Pradesh Government that no such thing would be allowed at the Tirumala Hills, the Indo-American, mostly Hindu organizations, at the meeting decided to send a representative to Washington D.C. to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister during his visit this week.”