Tirupati bus ticket ad row: APSRTC withdraws tickets; Andhra's YSRCP govt blames TDP regime for issuing tender

Updated Aug 23, 2019 | 19:14 IST | Deepak Nagpal

Some pilgrims had noticed Jerusalem yatra and Haj pilgrimage religious advertisements on bus tickets in the temple town of Tirupati and had brought them to the notice of the authorities.

Tirupati bus ticket religious ad row
Bus ticket with religious ad printed on the back 

Key Highlights

  • Bus tickets with religious ads printed on the back issued to passengers in temple town of Tirupati
  • Jerusalem yatra and Haj pilgrimage ads printed on bus tickets' back triggered a huge row
  • While BJP demanded action for hurting Hindu sentiments, ruling YSRCP govt blamed previous TDP regime for printing such ads

Amaravati/Tirupati: Amid controversy over the printing of advertisements of Jerusalem yatra and Haj pilgrimage on bus tickets in the temple town of Tirupati, the Andhra Pradesh government has slammed the previous regime of N Chandrababu Naidu for the situation.

State minister and ruling YSR Congress Party leader Vellampalli Srinivas said the government has conducted an inquiry on the matter and preliminary results from which show the tender to print these ads were floated during the Telugu Desam Party government.

“An inquiry into the religious material being printed on the backside of the tickets showed that the tenders were finalised by the previous TDP government,” Srinivas said.

The minister accused the TDP as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party for raking up controversy and unnecessarily dragging the YSRCP government into it.

“TDP and BJP leaders are trying to level baseless allegations on CM (YSR Jaganmohan Reddy) for every small issue and trying to create untoward situations. We'll take action against all those who are purporting the vicious propaganda and trying to blame the state for such sensitive issues,” the minister added.

The minister’s remarks came even as the BJP slammed the Jagan government for following appeasement politics.

“Printing of Jerusalem advertisement at the back of Tirupati Bus Sewa ticket is unacceptable to secular people. If these appeasement policies of Jagan government for Christians continue, time isn't far when the people of Andhra Pradesh will send CM and his family to Jerusalem,” BJP’s Andhra Pradesh co-in-charge, Sunil Deodhar said.

The BJP had earlier said that action should be taken against those who have hurt the sentiments of Hindus. Party leaders and workers also held a demonstration at the office of the regional manager of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) today.

The advertisements on the back of tickets were noticed by some pilgrims at a bus station in Tirupati, they were headed to Tirumala. They then raised the matter with authorities.

APSRTC officials, meanwhile, informed that the tickets with advertisements of pilgrimage of other religions had inadvertently reached Tirupati and were immediately taken out of circulation.

APSRTC also issued a press note in which it said: “Tickets withdrawn duly taking sentiments of the devotees. An enquiry has been ordered to probe into this matter and to elicit further information and to avoid recurrence of such incidents.”

 

 

The advertisements from the minorities department talked about the facilities that were being offered to Christian pilgrims headed to Jerusalem and Haj pilgrims going to Mecca.

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