Conspiracy hatched to damage TTD over human hair seizure on Mizoram-Myanmar Border: Reddy

Tirumala: Stoutly refuting the false propaganda on the human hair smuggling row by some media organisations, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Additional Executive Officer A V Dharma Reddy on Wednesday said that some vested interests had hatched a conspiracy to damage the reputation of the premier Hindu Religious Institution with a malicious campaign.
Releasing the documents of seizure made on the border of Mizoram-Myanmar by Assam Rifles, Customs and the Mizoram police, Reddy said TTD had no connection with the seized human hair.
Addressing a media conference at the Annamaiah Bhavan here, he said in spite of all disclosures, the vested interests were targeting TTD and AP Government through social media, print and electronic media and hurting the sentiments of the devotees.
The Additional EO said police have been instructed to take stringent action on individuals and media organisations which resorted to baseless campaigns on TTD.
He said if the media representatives proved their allegations after visiting Mizoram, TTD is ready to initiate necessary action.
Baseless charges were that TTD officials and Customs officials were clandestinely transporting the tonsured hair, Reddy said there was ‘no reference or link to the TTD in the about Rs.18 lakh worth rotten human hair seized on February 8 last month by the Mizoram police.
The police and customs reports categorically stated that the seized hair were ‘ not linked to TTD’ at all, but a section of media is making all-out efforts to damage the reputation of it and thereby hurting the sentiments of Hindu devotees across the globe, he asserted.
The Additional EO said TTD had established a transparent and state-of-art technology to process treatment-cum-storage of tonsured hair. Not a single glade of hair is offered in e-auction without it’s processing.
He said the malafide campaigners had painted the officials of Kalyanakatta, TTD Vigilance and 1200 barbers as ‘thieves ‘ and marked them guilty.
Reddy said there were baseless allegations of malpractices in the e-auction platform and invited the representatives of media to participate in the next auction of tonsured hair due in April and see for themselves whether there were any syndicates or room for malpractices in the sale proceedings.
The Additional EO said it was not good to malign a few TTD officials and employees by the media for sake of cheap popularity.
Where is the need for TTD officials to transport Rs.18 lakh worth unprocessed spoiled hair in a truck 3000 km away near Mizoram, he questioned.
He said the reports given by the Mizoram police clarified that the seized truck belonged to a Mizoram based lady who had paid the truck driver Rs.15,000 to transport locally collected hair.
The TTD Additional Executive Officer said the cheap publicity had hurt the TTD employees mentally who were working in the division in spite of health hazards.