• Source:JND

A 42-year-old drunk man trespassed into the Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple in Tirupati around midnight on Friday, stayed there for nearly three hours and tried to break one of the Kalasams atop the gopurams inside the temple. The incident has raised questions about temple security and crowd management after darshan hours.

The man, later identified as Kuttadi Tirupati, is a resident of Nizamabad district in Telangana. According to officials, he entered the temple premises by climbing the boundary wall and evading security while under the influence of alcohol.

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Three-Hour Drama Inside Temple Premises

Officers from the Tirupati East police station, along with fire department personnel, spent nearly three hours negotiating with the man as he perched atop the temple structure. When asked to come down, he demanded a quarter bottle of alcohol, claiming he would descend only after receiving it.

Officials reportedly assured him that he would be given alcohol after coming down. Upon descending, the police arrested him and took him to the police station for further questioning. Officials said the situation was brought under control without any damage to the temple or injuries to the man.

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Political Slugfest In Andhra Pradesh

The incident has triggered a political slugfest in the state, with the YSR Congress slamming the ruling Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government, alleging that it insulted the sanctity of the shrine.

"A serious and disturbing incident at the Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple in Tirupati has exposed the complete failure of the coalition government. Due to lax security under B R Naidu, an intoxicated man climbed the temple gopuram and demanded liquor, openly insulting the sanctity of the shrine,” the YSR Congress wrote in a post on its official X account.

The post further said that the ‘reckless’ handling by the police worsened the situation, with the man attempting to damage the sacred Kalasam. The opposition also targeted Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, alleging that he has turned the city into a liquor hub and demanded accountability for the incident.


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