Hyderabad, Feb 24 (IExpress) : Just two days after making controversy over making a stupendous gold offering worth Rs 5.5 crore at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has picked up the threads again, this time offering a 'bangaru meesalu' (gold moustache) costing around Rs 75,000 at Kuravi Veerabhadra Swamy Temple.
There are wide-scale allegations that Rao's extravagance in fulfilling personal vows has been born by the state exchequer using the taxpayer’s money.
On February 22, Chandrasekhar Rao donated a Saligrama Haram (lotus model golden necklace) that is said to weigh 14.90 kg. He has also offered a five-row Kante (carcanet) that weighs 4.65 kg.
The trend does not stop there as on the same day Chandrasekhar Rao donated gold ornaments worth around Rs 5 crore to the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, to fulfil a vow he had made for realisation of separate state--Telangana. He was criticised by the main opposition parties Congress and the BJP in Telangana for using public money to fulfil his “personal vows” made to Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh.
But all the criticism seem to have fallen on deaf ears, as Rao also plans to donate a golden crown for the idol of Goddess Bhadrakali of Warangal, a nose stud to goddess Kanaka Durga’s idol in Vijayawada and another to goddess Padmavathi’s idol in Tiruchanur.
It has been claimed that the money for the donations had come from CM Rao's personal wealth, however, reportedly the money came from Common Good Fund for the Endowments Department, a fund meant for the up keep of renovate ramshackled temples.