Andhra Pradesh Bus Ticket Row: State Government Blames Previous TDP Government For Hajj, Jerusalem Pilgrimage Ads, Probe Ordered
Amid political controversy over printing of advertisements of Jerusalem and Haj pilgrimage on back of APSRTC bus tickets in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district, the state government ordered an inquiry into the matter. The tickets were also withdrawn.
Hyderabad, August 23: Amid political controversy over printing of advertisements of Jerusalem and Haj pilgrimage on back of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus tickets in Tirupati district, the state government on Friday ordered an inquiry into the matter. The tickets were also withdrawn. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress party blamed the previous government for the current situation.
The Executive Director of APSRTC said that the contract to print advertisements on the reverse sides of bus tickets to M/S Marvin Creative Services by the then Chandrababu government. According to the Executive Director, the contract to the company was given in December 2016 and is valid till December 2019. Hajj, Jerusalem Pilgrimage Ads Printed on APSRTC Bus Tickets For Temple Town Tirumala, BJP Slams 'Non-Hindu' Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Executive Director of APSRTC's Tweet:
State minister Vellampalli Srinivas also lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for dragging the state government into the controversy. “TDP and BJP leaders are trying to level baseless allegations on CM (YSR Jaganmohan Reddy) for every small issue and trying to create untoward situations. We'll take action against all those who are purporting the vicious propaganda and trying to blame the state for such sensitive issues,” reported Times Now quoting Srinivas as saying.
The BJP earlier alleged that that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy does not respect the Hindu religion. According to reports, some people travelling from Tirupati to Tirumala noticed advertisements about pilgrimage to Hajj and Jerusalem on bus tickets. Reacting to the controversy, the Executive Director of APSRTC stated that they had taken note of ads about non-Hindu pilgrimage on tickets for Tirumala town and a probe had been launched.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2019 08:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).