Author: R Akhileshwari
Publication: Deccan Herald
Date: January 31, 2009
URL: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jan312009/national20090130115624.asp
The popular Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has kicked
off a controversy by criticising the appointing of 'unworthy' persons to head
religious bodies like Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams that runs the richest
temple in India of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala. The baba, conducting a week-long
camp on yoga being attended by about 50,000 daily criticised the appointing
of D K Adikeshavulu as TTD chairman. Adikeshavulu, a former TDP MP, was the
leading liquor contractor in Andhra Pradesh which irked the baba.
During a visit to Tirupati on Thursday to
receive an honorary title conferred on him by the Sanskrit University, the
baba criticised the government's decision to appoint a 'liquor king' as TTD
chairman and said it was wrong to appoint someone who was responsible for
a whole range of evils spread by consumption of liquor. He said only those
with unflinching 'social, ethical and religious values' should be appointed
to the post.
Adikeshavulu, however, responded by saying
he had given up liquor business before entering politics and was eligible
for the post of chairman of TTD. He was appointed a few days after he was
thrown out of TDP for voting in favour of the ruling UPA government during
the vote on the nuclear deal in Parliament. He was promptly appointed by the
Congress government apparently as a reward to the highly prestigious post.
Baba Ramdev described alcohol as a cause for
breaking many families and added that people involved with its production,
should not associate themselves with places of worship.
"When I went to Tirumala, I came to know
that a member of the huge liquor mafia has become the chairman. When people
come to know that the chairman is a liquor baron, their faith will be shaken,
and this will be very dangerous," he said.
Expressing his anguish over the growing corruption,
Baba Ramdev sought the resignation of Adikeshavulu and threatened to launch
a campaign against him. Even as Home Minister K Jana Reddy who attended the
baba's session on Friday tried to dilute the controversy saying Baba Ramdev
was misreported.
However the Baba repeated his objections again.
He asked how a person who was responsible for such widespread depravity and
corruption could be appointed as TTD chairman that required "values of
highest order."
He demanded the stiffest punishment for people
who were "murderers of millions" and said they should be sued in
court and exiled. He demanded that Adikeshavulu should be replaced by an "honest,
nonorable and religious person."
