Youth Cong workers raise unholy din on Tirumala Hills

TIRUPATI: In utter disregard of the rules in force on Tirumala Hills that no procession be taken out except that of Lord Venkteswara, Youth Congress workers burst crackers and organised a rally on the Sacred Hills.

?Celebrating? the appointment of one Patakam Venkatesh as president of the District Youth Congress Committee, they raised slogans and made much noise, oblivious of the inconvenience to pilgrims or the sanctity of the Hills.

When Venkatesh arrived in Tirumala around noon, he was received by the sloganeering Youth Congress activists. Taking serious note of the violation of rules, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board of Trustees Chairman B Karunakar Reddy asked the police to arrest him and his followers.

Accordingly Venkatesh and six others were arrested. Cases were booked against the accused and they will be produced before a magistrate, said Inspector (Law and Order) R Ravishankar Reddy.

Added Karunakar Reddy: ‘None will be allowed to violate the rules on Tirumala, the Abode of Lord Venakteswara. Our first priority is to protect the spiritual ambience on the Hills and not cause any inconvenience to the devotees.’

Meanwhile, condemning the incident, BJP and BJYM activists staged a dharna in Tirupati and burnt the Youth Congress in effigy at Nalugukalla Mandapam, demanding stringent action against the offenders.

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