06-09-2007, 03:55 AM
From deccan chronicle
------------------------------------------------------------------
<b>State bans propagation of other faiths in Tirumala </b>
Hyderabad, June 8: The State government has issued orders setting up the Tirumala Divya Kshetram comprising the seven sacred hills, holy theerthams and the central shrine of Lord Venkateswara.
The government also issued orders banning propagation of other religions in the precincts of the Tirumala Divya Kshetram and some other temples.
These orders were issued in the wake of criticism from several quarters that the Congress government had shrunk the seven sacred hills of Tirumala to two and was encouraging religious conversions in the area. To deflect the criticism, the government had promulgated an ordinance earlier banning propagation of other religions in places of worship of a particular religion.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy told mediapersons on Friday that holy spots other than temples would also be notified if respective religions gave representations. âThe Constitution has guaranteed freedom of religion but that does not allow propagation in places of worship of other religions,â he said. âIt hurts religious sentiments.â
Principal Secretary (endowments) I.V. Subba Rao denied that the area of the temple had ever been reduced. âWe issued orders setting up the divya kshetram to put all such speculations at rest,â he added. The department consulted several heads of peethams and members of the self-styled TTD Pariraskhana Samithi before issuing orders, he said.
Satellite imageries were also used to demarcate the geographical borders of the seven hills. All the seven hills, Seshadri, Garudadri, Venkatadri, Narayanadri, Vrishabhadri, Vrishadri and Anjanadri, right from foothills, would form part of the divyakshetram. In addition to this, 10 holy theerthams, footpaths leading to Tirumala from all directions, motorable ghat roads from Tirupathi to Tirumala and from Tirumala to Papavinasanam will form part of the complex.
Following is the list of temples notified by the State government where propogation of other religions is prohibited: Tirumala Divya Kshetram comprising all seven sacred hills, 10 theerthams under TTD limits and all its temples in Tirupati, Sri Varaha Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam (Simhachalam), Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy Devasthanam (Annavaram), Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devasthanam (Dwaraka Tirumala), Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam (Vijayawada), Sri Kalahasteeswara Swamy Devasthanam (Srikalahasthi), Sri Bhramarambha Mallikarjunaswamy Devasthanam (Srisailam), Sri Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy Devasthanam (Kanipakam), Sri Ram temple (Bhadrachalam), Raja Rajeswari temple (Vemulavada), Narasimhaswami temple (Yadagirigutta), Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple (Mangalagiri), Koormaswamy temple (Srikoormam), Suryanarayana temple (Arasavilli), Lakshminarayanaswamy temple (Dharmapuri), Narasimhaswamy temple (Ahobil Mutt), Mahanandeeswaraswamy temple (Mahanandi) and Veerabhadraswamy temple at Kuruvi.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One thing forumites need to understand here. Whatever may be the agenda of Evangelites and their political mentors ( viz. AP CM), there are some red lines that are impossible to cross. Fiddling with Tirupathi is too much even inside corrupt AP Congress party. Hence the backlash and the resultant GO.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interestingly there is an immediate response from the Evangelists. Did GPI's masters abroad pulled the plug?
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14468227
<b>Evangelist claims Reddy had sought $5 million </b>
Friday, 08 June , 2007, 22:17
Hyderabad: A Christian evangelist on Friday alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had demanded $5 million for party funds in December 2003 even as the later denied the allegations as 'wild' and 'baseless'.
K A Paul, chairman of the Global Peace Initiative (GPI), told newspersons that Reddy had sought the money from him and promised to help GPI go overseas.
He alleged that the Chief Minister, accompanied by senior Congress leader Botsa Satyanarayana, now a state minister, approached him in December 2003 seeking funds for 2004 elections. He claimed that he had declined to pay the money.
Paul alleged that he was facing threat to his life as Reddy bore grudge against him for refusing to give money. "Now my life is under threat from Dr Reddy," he said.
However, Reddy told a news conference on Friday that he did visit the orphanage run by Paul's brother on his invitation in December 2003. "But I never asked for money. When Dr Paul wanted that All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Sonia Gandhi be invited to the orphanage, I spoke to her but she did not evince any interest," said Reddy.
The Chief Minister said that Paul was friend of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu. "I don't know why he is making such wild and baseless allegations," he said.
------------------------------------------------------------------
<b>State bans propagation of other faiths in Tirumala </b>
Hyderabad, June 8: The State government has issued orders setting up the Tirumala Divya Kshetram comprising the seven sacred hills, holy theerthams and the central shrine of Lord Venkateswara.
The government also issued orders banning propagation of other religions in the precincts of the Tirumala Divya Kshetram and some other temples.
These orders were issued in the wake of criticism from several quarters that the Congress government had shrunk the seven sacred hills of Tirumala to two and was encouraging religious conversions in the area. To deflect the criticism, the government had promulgated an ordinance earlier banning propagation of other religions in places of worship of a particular religion.
Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy told mediapersons on Friday that holy spots other than temples would also be notified if respective religions gave representations. âThe Constitution has guaranteed freedom of religion but that does not allow propagation in places of worship of other religions,â he said. âIt hurts religious sentiments.â
Principal Secretary (endowments) I.V. Subba Rao denied that the area of the temple had ever been reduced. âWe issued orders setting up the divya kshetram to put all such speculations at rest,â he added. The department consulted several heads of peethams and members of the self-styled TTD Pariraskhana Samithi before issuing orders, he said.
Satellite imageries were also used to demarcate the geographical borders of the seven hills. All the seven hills, Seshadri, Garudadri, Venkatadri, Narayanadri, Vrishabhadri, Vrishadri and Anjanadri, right from foothills, would form part of the divyakshetram. In addition to this, 10 holy theerthams, footpaths leading to Tirumala from all directions, motorable ghat roads from Tirupathi to Tirumala and from Tirumala to Papavinasanam will form part of the complex.
Following is the list of temples notified by the State government where propogation of other religions is prohibited: Tirumala Divya Kshetram comprising all seven sacred hills, 10 theerthams under TTD limits and all its temples in Tirupati, Sri Varaha Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam (Simhachalam), Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy Devasthanam (Annavaram), Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devasthanam (Dwaraka Tirumala), Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam (Vijayawada), Sri Kalahasteeswara Swamy Devasthanam (Srikalahasthi), Sri Bhramarambha Mallikarjunaswamy Devasthanam (Srisailam), Sri Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy Devasthanam (Kanipakam), Sri Ram temple (Bhadrachalam), Raja Rajeswari temple (Vemulavada), Narasimhaswami temple (Yadagirigutta), Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple (Mangalagiri), Koormaswamy temple (Srikoormam), Suryanarayana temple (Arasavilli), Lakshminarayanaswamy temple (Dharmapuri), Narasimhaswamy temple (Ahobil Mutt), Mahanandeeswaraswamy temple (Mahanandi) and Veerabhadraswamy temple at Kuruvi.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One thing forumites need to understand here. Whatever may be the agenda of Evangelites and their political mentors ( viz. AP CM), there are some red lines that are impossible to cross. Fiddling with Tirupathi is too much even inside corrupt AP Congress party. Hence the backlash and the resultant GO.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interestingly there is an immediate response from the Evangelists. Did GPI's masters abroad pulled the plug?
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14468227
<b>Evangelist claims Reddy had sought $5 million </b>
Friday, 08 June , 2007, 22:17
Hyderabad: A Christian evangelist on Friday alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had demanded $5 million for party funds in December 2003 even as the later denied the allegations as 'wild' and 'baseless'.
K A Paul, chairman of the Global Peace Initiative (GPI), told newspersons that Reddy had sought the money from him and promised to help GPI go overseas.
He alleged that the Chief Minister, accompanied by senior Congress leader Botsa Satyanarayana, now a state minister, approached him in December 2003 seeking funds for 2004 elections. He claimed that he had declined to pay the money.
Paul alleged that he was facing threat to his life as Reddy bore grudge against him for refusing to give money. "Now my life is under threat from Dr Reddy," he said.
However, Reddy told a news conference on Friday that he did visit the orphanage run by Paul's brother on his invitation in December 2003. "But I never asked for money. When Dr Paul wanted that All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Sonia Gandhi be invited to the orphanage, I spoke to her but she did not evince any interest," said Reddy.
The Chief Minister said that Paul was friend of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu. "I don't know why he is making such wild and baseless allegations," he said.