Security at Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara visited by thousands of devotees each day of the year, has come back into focus with an incident of a serious security breach.
There is clear-cut evidence that a drone was flown on the TTD temples and the same was posted on Instagram. The drone operator had permission and it was not to shoot over the temples and not over the main gopuram Temple.
It was for a different purpose. The police and vigilance of the TTD have miserably failed in supervising the shooting of the drone operators.
There were many security lapses earlier also. The intelligence of the state and also center have alerted the TTD over a possible terrorist attack.
But the TTD has not taken it seriously and allowed the drones to shoot as they like. Now the topography of the TTD is on net.
Earlier a police officer of another state was caught in the temple queue complex with a service revolver earlier, a Pune man managed to sneak in his camera and click pictures inside the temple complex.
Though his camera was confiscated, he pleaded innocence to the rules. But how the officer was ignorant of rules against carrying weapons and managed to bypass the security is a mystery.
The security outside the temple was also brought under doubt when the golden umbrella on top of the procession chariot of the deity was stolen in February this year.
The procession chariot was parked at the Vahana Mandapam and was guarded from outside. But the metal protective sheets around the chariot was cut open and the umbrella was stolen.
Considering that on an average, 70,000 pilgrims from across the country visit the temple shrine and several VIPs, VVIPs and foreign dignitaries visit the temple, the security needs to be fool proof.
When asked, the security officials of TTD say that efforts are on to strengthen the existing security structure. A three-tier system of security was proposed a year ago and the TTD authorities are mulling over how to implement it.
We have seen film star Nayantara walking on Maada veedhi in front of the temple with chappal and shooting photos. This is also a breach of security.
The state government and TTD have to work it out together and arm the TTD security with the latest equipment irrespective of the cost.
