Congress senior leader and former MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy has described the donation of gold jewellery worth Rs. 5.5 crore to Tirumala temple by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao as illegal.
Shashidhar Reddy announced that he would approach the High Court against the donations made by the Chief Minister by using public money.
Speaking to media persons on Friday, Shashidhar Reddy said that the Common Good Fund (CGF) of Endowments Department should be utilised only for the repairs of old temples which are dilapidated condition. He said CGF is mobilised from temples with good revenues and the same is spent on others with no or less income. He said it was totally illegal to offer donations from the CGF to TTD which is among the richest temples in the world.
The Congress leader also opposed the decision of the State Government to shift Dharna Chowk to city's outskirts. He said political parties and NGOs have been holding protests at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park for the last several years and it was inappropriate for the government to shift it to other place. He alleged that the TRS Government was trying to suppress the people's freedom of expression.