Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Chairman YV Subba Reddy on Thursday dismissed reports doing the rounds that Christopher David, reportedly a relative of Jagan, had been appointed as the Deputy Executive Officer (DEO) of the religious body which governs the Venkateswara temple in Andhra Pradesh.
Taking to Twitter, Subba Reddy said, "The rumor circulating that the TTD board has appointed Christopher as DEO is completely untrue. There is always a need for media outlets and social media to verify such claims before they are published.
"I warn that we will take legal action against those spread such misinformation," he added.
టిటిడి బోర్డు DEOగా క్రిస్టోఫర్ ను నియమించారు అని ప్రచారం అవుతున్న వార్త పూర్తిగా అవాస్తవం. ఇలాంటి వార్తలు ప్రచురించేముందు అవి వాస్తవాలా కాదా అని మీడియా సంస్థలు మరియు సోషల్ మీడియావారు నిర్థారణ చేసుకోవాల్సిన అవసరం ఎంతైనా ఉంది.
— Y V Subba Reddy (@yvsubbareddymp) July 25, 2019
ఇలాంటి దుష్ప్రచారాలు చేసే వారిపై చట్టపరమైన చర్యలు తీసుకుంటామని హెచ్చరిస్తున్నాను.
— Y V Subba Reddy (@yvsubbareddymp) July 25, 2019
The fake message first did the rounds on social media, after users began claiming that Christopher had been appointed as the TTD DEO, thereby 'ruining the sanctity' of the temple.
"Locals talk with distaste that this Christopher and his dutiful wife used to bring raw meat to the TTD run institution, Sri Venkateswara Arts College during his 12 year stint as Lecturer in the Dept of Dairy Technology, and prepare a feast for themselves using the oven in the Dairy Technology laboratory (sic)," one of the messages stated.
This was later picked up by TV5, a local media outlet, which resulted in the rumour gaining more traction.
The news outlet has also put out a statement since then, apologizing for their error.
"Based on our social media feed, our web staff have posted the news. However, we have learnt that the news is untrue. We regret the error. Right from its inception, TV5 deals responsibly when it comes to religious matters. We will identify those responsible for the error and take action against them," the statement said.
The BJP also tapped into the issue, with party leader Bhanu Prakash telling reporters, "Is it Tirumala Tirumala Devasthanam or Jagan Mohan Reddy Devasthanam? You are only appointing your friends and relatives. It does not set the right precedent."
The TTD, which governs the richest Hindu temple in the world, has been in the news repeatedly ever since Subba Reddy, who is also Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's maternal uncle, was chosen as its chairman.
At the time, many took to social media to suggest that the senior politician, like his nephew, was a devout Christian. However, Subba Reddy denied all allegations, telling reporters, "I was born a Hindu and I will die a Hindu. These allegations against me hurt me deeply."
The TTD consists of IAS officers, administrators and political appointees, who coordinate with archakas (priests) and oversee affairs at Tirumala.