Telangana CMs gold donation to temple questioned in HC

Hyderabad, Mar 14 (PTI) The Hyderabad High Court today sought the Telangana governments stand on a plea questioning the donation of gold ornaments worth Rs 5 crores to Tirupati temple allegedly at the cost of public exchequer.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shamim Akhtar sought the governments stand issuing it a notice on a plea by noted writer-activist Kancha Ilaiah, who contended that a secular government cannot gift gold ornaments to temples at the cost of exchequer.

“If the Chief Minister (K Chandrasekhar Rao) had vowed to gift gold ornaments, he should do so with his money, not with public money,” the petition said. The bench issued notices to the state government and the Commissioner, Endowments, seeking their replies within four weeks.

Rao had offered gold ornaments worth a staggering Rs five crore to Lord Venkateswara temple of Tirupati last month. He was said to have taken a vow to make the offering following fulfilment of his dream of a separate Telangana state.

He had made similar donations to other temples too, inviting criticism from the opposition for misuse of public money. PTI