Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Permission only for procession of deities: HC

.By Our Special Correspondent.

TIRUPATI APRIL. 12 In a landmark judgment, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has upheld the Tirupati Tirumala Devastanam's contention that the four `mada' (main) streets around the Tirumala temple complex was open only for the procession of the deities and not for any other procession.

The Court made these observations disposing of a writ petition filed against the TTD and its Tirumala-based Joint Executive Officer, P.Balasubramanyam, by the CPI's state secretariat member, K.Narayana, alleging inter alia that he (Mr. Balasubramanyam) insulted the national flag by not permitting an independence day procession to go around the four mada streets. The petitioner also said that Mr. Balasubramanyam had thus encroached on the fundamental rights of the processionists, who incidentally were the pupils and the staff of a Tirumala-based private school.

The TTD in its affidavit contended that even the `mada' streets fell within the definition of a temple and place of worship where any secular procession other than the procession of the deities were prohibited.

It asserted that it was the absolute owner of the land and streets around the four mada streets in asmuchas it formed part and parcel of the temple complex. Mr. Balasubramanyam told The Hindu over the phone that since the petitioner impleaded him by his name in the case, he engaged his own lawyer to argue the case without taking the help of the panel of the TTD's lawyers.

He felt that judgment would be a blessing in disguise to the TTD in dealing with land disputes and litigations.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Govt. to promote tourism industry: Naidu
• Kondapalli Seetharamaiah dead
• Minister rules out blanket ban on transgenic crops
• Permission only for procession of deities: HC
• TDP leaders' observations on Vajpayee flayed
• KS - guiding force of PWG
• Probe ordered into suicide at police station
• Cong. to hold training camps in other zones
• Spiritual heads' help for talks with naxals?
• Fears over recruitment to Govt. jobs allayed
• Fisherman dies after being beaten up by policemen

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu