Only Hindus should be employed at Tirumala Temple, says Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that only Hindus should be employed at the Tirumala Temple. "Only Hindus should be employed at the Tirumala Temple. If individuals from other religions are currently working there, they will be relocated to other places without hurting their sentiments," the CM was quoted as saying by ANI.

The Andhra CM also announced plans to build Venkateswara Swamy temples in all state capitals across India. 18 workers at various board-run institutions were disciplined by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is in charge of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala, last month for allegedly practicing Christianity in spite of having sworn allegiance to Hindu dharma and customs.

The edict prohibited the 18 employees—all Christians—who worked in various TTD-run institutions as lecturers, dormitory staff, office subordinates, engineers, assistants, nurses, and other paramedical personnel from attending any religious or spiritual events that the board planned.