Tirumala Board Orders Probe Into Cow Deaths, TDP's Nara Lokesh Condemns 'Malicious Propaganda'

Last Updated:April 11, 2025, 17:29 IST

Former TTD chairman has claimed that over 100 cows have died in the past three months due to poor care and mismanagement

News18

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Friday alleged that several cows at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) gosala have died due to negligence by the NDA-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh.

Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, the former TTD chairman, called for an inquiry into the cow deaths to bring out the truth and protect the sanctity of Tirumala.

Speaking to the media, the YSRCP leader claimed that over 100 cows have died in the past three months due to poor care and mismanagement. “This number is based only on what has come to our notice, the actual figure could be higher," he said.

He accused the current government — a coalition of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — of ignoring important responsibilities and instead focusing on making false accusations against YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. “They are attempting to erase his good efforts," he added.

Bhumana also raised concerns about the person in charge of the gosala, claiming, “It is being overseen by a Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) who lacks veterinary expertise. This is sheer neglect of the coalition government and its appointed TTD governing body."

TTD Responds: ‘False News’

In response, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) dismissed Bhumana’s claims and labelled them as false and misleading.

“TTD strongly condemns the spread of false information intended to mislead devotees and the public. We request the devotees not to believe false news," the TTD said in a post on X.

Bhanuprakash Reddy, a member of the TTD Trust Board, also criticised Bhumana for making the allegations without proper verification and said that the vigilance department has launched an investigation.

“There are currently 1,768 cows in the Tirupati Goshala. A few of them have unfortunately died due to health-related issues. Recently, one cow died on a railway track, and the TTD Vigilance department has initiated an investigation into the incident," Bhanuprakash said.

He added, “Karunakar Reddy is spreading false information—he should refrain from reading out scripts written by someone else without verifying the facts."

Andhra Pradesh, India, India

News politics Tirumala Board Orders Probe Into Cow Deaths, TDP's Nara Lokesh Condemns 'Malicious Propaganda'