Hyderabad: Devotees in Tirumala( of Lord Venkatesa) and Kalahasti( of goddess Prasoonambika Devi) want the offerings made in 2009-2011 to the Andhra gods by remand prisoner no.697- Gali Janardhana Reddy who is in Chanchalaguda jail here, to be retuned to him in Bellary, as the gifts made by Reddys group had become “tainted”, in view of Reddy’s arrest and jail sentence.
These devotees stages protest in Tirupathi temple town on Tuesday (September 6) and demanded that the Rs 45 crore (in value) diamond-studded golden crown made in Bellary, donated by the Reddys, be returned to them as the gifts could no more be in possession of the deity coming from a criminal.
“The Lord can do without the tainted offering” of a corrupt mining baron, the angry devotees yelled. They did not want the infected crown to be seen in the temple even for a minute said a devotee who joined the rally.
The Reddys had been bribing gods in many ways for enriching them overnight. G.J. Reddy presented a Rs.45 crore crown to Lord of Tirumala and Rs.12 crore crown to goddess of Kalahasti in 2009-11. But the real devotees are upset on such tainted ornaments on idols.