Tirupati to Host Centenary of Dalit Temple Entry from October 11

A three-day event commemorating 100 years of Dalit entry into the Tiruchanoor temple will be held in Tirupati from October 11 to 13, senior Congress leader and former Tirupati MP Chinta Mohan has said.

Addressing a press conference, he recalled that on October 13, 1925, a Dalit named Murugan entered the temple and offered arati, following which he was jailed. Murugan was later released after C. Rajagopalachari, learning of the incident, travelled to Tirupati to argue his case and secured his acquittal.

Mohan said Mahatma Gandhi subsequently staged a satyagraha in front of the Tiruchanoor temple along with 33 Dalit persons, ensuring their entry into the temple. Leaders of various organisations and political parties have been invited to the centenary programme, he added.

The former Union Minister also criticised the BJP-led Union government over the Delimitation Bill, saying it was being rushed through and would do injustice to southern States. He warned that the move could create an imbalance between North and South India and lead to unrest, noting that B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and other members of the Constituent Assembly had fixed the number of Lok Sabha seats after considerable deliberation.

Mohan further accused the SC, ST Finance Corporation in Andhra Pradesh of doing little for the welfare of Dalits.