Tirupati : A video of a Muslim man offering namaz in the sacred Hindu pilgrimage site of Tirumala has ignited political and communal tensions in Andhra Pradesh. The man, reportedly a driver accompanying Hindu pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, was seen praying near the Purohita Sangham area on Thursday, when the pilgrims had gone for darshan, reported the Times of India.
The incident, captured on camera by a passer-by, quickly went viral on social media, leading to outrage from certain quarters. As per the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, religious activities unrelated to Hinduism are strictly prohibited on Tirumala hills.
Former TTD chairman and YSR Congress Party leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy condemned the lapse, alleging that the TTD administration had failed in its duty to protect the sanctity of the shrine. “Such incidents can hurt religious sentiments and disturb communal harmony. With so much surveillance, how was this allowed to happen?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and TTD board member G Bhanu Prakash Reddy speculated that the act may have been deliberate and called for a thorough investigation. “We are reviewing CCTV footage and will trace the identity of the man. No one should exploit religious spaces to provoke sentiments,” he said.
TTD officials confirmed that the driver’s identity has not yet been ascertained and that an inquiry is underway.
Tirumala, home to the world-renowned Sri Venkateswara temple, maintains strict rules prohibiting non-Hindu religious practices. The incident has once again brought to the fore debates over religious freedoms, secularism, and the sensitivities involved in managing pilgrimage centres in India.
