Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, the YSR Congress Party’s State official spokesperson and Chittoor district president, has significantly ratcheted up pressure on the ruling NDA Alliance government. He is forcefully demanding a CBI inquiry into the ‘Parakamani scam,’ a controversy that shook the revered Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) just two years ago.
Despite two TTD Trust Board members, representing the NDA Alliance, seemingly celebrating a ‘sensational expose’ with the release of surveillance CCTV footage related to the scam this past Saturday, Mr. Karunakar Reddy remains unwavering. He has publicly declared he would sacrifice his life at Alipiri, the base of the Tirumala hills, if the ruling alliance can substantiate their allegations against him. In a bold counter-challenge, he insisted they must offer a public apology if they fail to prove his alleged involvement.
During a media briefing held on Sunday, September 21, Mr. Reddy directly accused Education Minister Nara Lokesh and TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu of needlessly implicating him in the scandal. He highlighted that the alleged perpetrator, C. Ravi Kumar, was apprehended for stealing currency notes on April 29, 2023, a period when Mr. Reddy was not serving as the Trust Board chairman.
“The accused himself confessed to pilfering currency notes for the past two decades, a timeframe that directly overlaps with the TDP’s administration under then-Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Why did his government not uncover this elaborate scam during their tenure?” Mr. Reddy questioned pointedly.
Dismissing claims that the YSRCP Government-formed Trust Board had reached a compromise with the accused, Mr. Reddy countered by asking why they would have caught the accused red-handed if such a deal existed. He explained that after the accused’s family showed remorse and rejected the ill-gotten gains, they voluntarily agreed to register landed properties valued at ₹14 crore in the TTD’s name—a resolution officially adopted by the Board.
“Has there ever been another instance in TTD’s history where stolen property was successfully recovered in such a manner? Instead of commending our decisive action, the government is resorting to baseless mudslinging,” he lamented.
Mr. Karunakar Reddy’s challenge to the government is clear: hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), rather than allowing the CB-CID, which operates under their direct control, to handle it. This, he asserts, is the only way to genuinely uncover all truths and inconsistencies surrounding the case.