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NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and MLA Nara Lokesh has alleged that over Rs 100 crore was stolen from the parakamani (donation box) of the Tirumala temple during the YSR Congress Party government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.Lokesh, who is also TDP’s general secretary, shared purported CCTV footage on X on Saturday, claiming it shows large-scale misappropriation of Lord Venkateswara’s offerings.“YCP thieves have looted the sacred property of Lord Venkateswara. YCP leaders are behind the ‘hundred crore Parakamani theft’. During Jagan’s five-year rule, corruption reigned supreme. Anarchy ran rampant. Jagan turned Andhra Pradesh into a haven for thieves, looters, and mafia dons. The Jagan gang plundered mines, lands, forests, and all resources, along with exploiting the people… and in the end, they did not even spare the sacred property of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala,” Lokesh said in his post. He also accused former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy of facilitating the scam and claimed that “shares of the loot” reached Tadepalli Palace, the residence of then chief minister Jagan. TTD is the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, the richest Hindu shrine in the world. Lokesh alleged that the stolen funds were diverted into real estate and attempts were made to “settle” the matter in a Lok Adalat. “With the backing of power, Jagan’s gang committed every possible sacrilege against Lord Venkateswara,” he added.”The sins of Jagan’s gang, the former rulers who looted the temple and its hundi, have now come to fruition. The Parakamani videos have surfaced today. Tomorrow, the accused themselves will reveal the full list of YCP’s sins,” he further said.BJP leader Bhanuprakash Reddy also reshared the video posted by Lokesh.In 2024, the TTD had faced a separate controversy after lab reports found that the ghee used in its laddu prasadam contained adulterated animal fats.
