No politics near temples: Telangana CM Revanth proposes regulations

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday, April 4, called for strict regulations around major temples to preserve the devotional atmosphere, stating that no political meetings, flags, or protests should be held near temple premises.

He was holding a meeting with Endowments Minister Konda Surekha and other officials on the preparation of a master plan for the development of the Goddess Saraswathi temple at Basara in Nirmal district.

He said rules should be made to avoid any political activities in the premises of all temples, similar to the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala Tirupati.

Reddy, who will lay the foundation stone for the development works at the Basara temple on April 6, said the works should be carried out in consonance with the ‘shastras’. The temple development would be taken up at Rs 225 crores.

He also asked the officials to ensure that the temple would have wide roads to meet the rush of devotees in the future, and that only EVs are used in the premises of the shrine.

To improve pilgrim facilities, the Chief Minister directed the construction of a health centre near the temple. This facility should be equipped to handle large gatherings during festivals such as Pushkarams and other major events, with adequate doctors and medical staff available, the CM said.

He also suggested installing solar rooftops at parking areas to promote sustainable energy use and stressed the sanctity of the temple must not be compromised during development works.

(With inputs from PTI.)