Buoyed up by the recent High Court upholding his rights as the hereditary chairperson of the Mansas Trust and the Simhachalam temple, former union minister and TDP biggie Ashok Gajapathi Raju has stepped up his attack on the YSRCP government.

On Wednesday, he paid a visit to Simhachalam temple for the first time after he was reinstated as the trust board chief. He raised strong objections at not being welcomed into the temple with traditional honours that befit the hereditary trust board. He strongly criticised the temple authorities for not tying the traditional headgear to him. He said this was a serious violation of the temple traditions.

He said he had received these honours even while he was not a hereditary chairperson. But, after being reinstated, he is still being insulted, Raju said. The temple priests told him that they had done away with this practice on the express orders of the endowments minister. They said this was being done due to the Covid restrictions.

At this, Raju snapped at them and said that temple’s hoary traditions should not be given a go by in the name of Covid restrictions. He said the hereditary chairperson should be given the respect he deserves. He also criticised the present government-appointed chairman and said that he was made a chairman for political considerations alone. He was jailed for financial improprieties. How can such a person be made the chairperson, he questioned.

It may be noted that when Supreme Court chief justice NV Ramana visited Yadadri in neighbouring Telagnana state, a traditional headgear was tied on him. Similar traditions were, however, not followed in Andhra Pradesh.