KCR’s gold vow at Tirumala costs exchequer Rs 5 crore

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, February 22

Brushing aside criticism over splurging taxpayers’ money on fulfilling religious vows, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today offered gold ornaments worth Rs 5 crore to Lord Balaji at Tirumala temple and a nose-stud worth Rs 45,000 to Goddess Padmavati at Tirupati.

The funds for the ornaments were met by the state Endowments Department. The CM made the offerings to fulfil a vow he had taken during the movement for separate Telangana state. Accompanied by his family members and top officials, Rao visited the hill shrine at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh and made the offerings as a thanksgiving gesture to Lord Balaji.

“I have prayed for the well-being and prosperity for both the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” Rao told reporters after offering prayers at the temple.

Earlier, his entourage arrived at Renigunta airport in Tirupati by two special aircraft to hand over 18.85 kg of ornaments to the authorities of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. “It is against constitutional norms to spend public money on religious beliefs. The CM had taken the vow in his individual capacity. How would Rao have fulfilled his vow had he not become the CM?” Telangana Congress spokesman Dasoju Sravan wondered.