A political controversy has erupted over Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman B R Naidu, after certain alleged videos and photographs purportedly linked to him surfaced on social media, triggering sharp reactions from opposition leaders.
YSR Congress party leader and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy strongly criticised Naidu and demanded his immediate resignation, calling the alleged content “immoral” and damaging to the sanctity of the temple administration.
Bhumana said the visuals circulating online had “hurt the sentiments of Hindus” and described the situation as unprecedented in the 94-year history of the TTD governing body.
He alleged that Naidu should have stepped down immediately after the controversy broke and accused him of attempting to shift blame onto the YSRCP.
He further claimed that the videos were not fabricated and said he had consulted AI experts who, according to him, confirmed the authenticity of the visuals.
He also demanded a criminal investigation into the matter and called for Naidu’s removal from office.
In addition, he accused Naidu of making derogatory remarks in the past against former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his family, alleging that the controversy was a consequence of such conduct.
He questioned whether similar activities were taking place within TTD offices and urged religious leaders to respond to the issue.
Responding sharply, TTD chairman B R Naidu dismissed the allegations as “malicious propaganda” driven by political motives.
He stated that fabricated deepfake videos were being circulated on social media to tarnish his personal reputation and undermine the prestige of TTD.
In a social media post, Naidu termed the content “completely false and distorted” and accused certain YSRCP-affiliated individuals of orchestrating a smear campaign.
He said advanced AI technology had been misused to morph his likeness into fabricated visuals.
Naidu confirmed that he had lodged a complaint with Cyber Crime Police, seeking an investigation into the origin of the alleged deepfake content.
He asserted that he would pursue legal action against those responsible for defamation and attempts to damage TTD’s image.