God might work in mysterious ways, but there appears to be no mystery behind the noteworthy rejections by the Lord’s keepers at Tirumala — if the grievances that are being heard are anything to go by. And non-acceptance of ‘VIP recommendation letters’ issued by Telangana ministers and MLAs to devotees for darshan of Lord Balaji in Tirumala seems to be giving a whole new flavour to cross-border political rivalry between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Telangana leaders are complaining that the TTD Board is refusing to honour their VIP recommendation letters, for faster, smoother access to the temple to devotees from Telangana.
Apparently among those seeing red over the TTD’s attitude are Congress MLAs Janampalli Anirudh Reddy and Yennam Srinivas Reddy, who say TTD’s new policy not only insults Telangana's leaders but also disregards the cultural connection that binds devotees from both states. If AP leaders can enjoy their houses and farmhouses in and around Hyderabad, why shouldn’t Telangana’s leaders be respected in Tirumala, Anirudh Reddy asked the other day, adding a fiery twist to his statement by threatening that they might block AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s entry into Hyderabad if the policy doesn’t change. As this VIP darshan debate heats up, it’s a reminder that sometimes, even the most revered traditions can be swept up in the fervour of politics — where laddus, letters, and interstate loyalties all find themselves in the mix.
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