NOIDA, INDIA, January 1, 2006: R. Venkatanarayanan, Secretary, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha sends the following information:
“I would like to bring to your notice and through your columns to your readers’ notice, an ominous piece of confirmed information circulating these days in India. The Andhra Pradesh Government is reported to have decided to install a ropeway to the Tirupathi temple to attract ‘tourists’ in large numbers to the temple and squeeze the temple and the highly revered Deity for more revenue. Another proposed step is to create a new budget category of ‘General’ income and expenditure as a strategem to divert devotee offerings to non-temple and non-Hindu purposes. The Christian Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, who has strong personal support from the central congress leadership of the same persuasion and who is goaded constantly by the Christian missionaries, seems to insist on these outrageous action despite opposition from devotees and some part of temple management. Your readers may like to lodge strong protest in large numbers with the Chief Minister and the Andhra Pradesh Government asking them to desist from hurting Hindu sentiments in this manner.”