Attack on Hindu sentiments: Christian temple officer masquerading with Hindu name deliberately violates temple rules and secretly attends church prayers
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India 
7 July, 2025
Case Summary
A controversy broke out at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh after a Christian man, serving as an Assistant Executive Officer, was found violating temple regulations. The individual had allegedly assumed a Hindu name, likely to secure the temple job, and was reportedly attending Christian prayers at a church every Sunday, in direct contravention of the temple's code of conduct. According to media reports, the accused individual was identified as Rajashekhar Babu. Under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) board’s regulations, employees were not allowed to practise another religion. Despite this, Rajashekhar Babu attended church prayers in his hometown every Sunday. Upon learning of this, the TTD conducted an investigation. The inquiry confirmed the violation, and the officer was immediately suspended. The TTD stated that, as an employee of a Hindu religious institution, this constituted a breach of TTD rules. A senior official of the TTD stated, "This constitutes a violation of TTD norms as he has not followed the organisation's code of conduct and has acted irresponsibly as an employee representing a Hindu religious organisation." He further added, "After examining the report submitted by the TTD Vigilance Department and other evidence, departmental action was initiated against him according to established rules, and he was suspended with immediate effect." Earlier, in February 2025, the TTD had taken similar action against eighteen employees who were Christian but were serving as temple officials and had engaged in non-Hindu religious activities. The new chairman of TTD, B. R. Naidu, stated that only Hindus could work in institutions associated with the temple. This rule was implemented to maintain religious harmony within the TTD. According to Rule 9 of the TTD Employees Service Rules, 1989, established under G.O. Ms. No. 1060, specifies that only individuals professing the Hindu religion are eligible for recruitment into the TTD service. This rule was inserted through G.O.Ms No. 1372 in 2007 and mandates that employees must adhere to Hindu dharma and traditions while refraining from non-Hindu religious activities. Violating this rule is considered a serious breach of conduct, potentially amounting to both religious insensitivity and administrative misconduct.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case was added to the tracker because a Christian man who regularly attended Christian prayers knowingly violated the established rules by serving as an official at the Tirupati temple, where non-Hindus are explicitly prohibited from holding such positions. In Sanatan Dharma, many temples and sacred spaces welcome visitors from all backgrounds. However, there are specific areas within certain temples, and in some cases entire temples, where entry and service are strictly reserved for Hindus. These rules are not arbitrary; they are deeply rooted in historical and cultural traditions that have been upheld for centuries. India stands as a beacon of religious tourism, drawing people from diverse faiths who come to experience the richness and beauty of Sanatan Dharma. However, with this openness comes the responsibility to respect the unique rules and customs of each temple or place of worship. In fact, there are several Hindu temples that restrict entry to Hindus only. For example, the Jagannath Puri temple in Odisha has maintained this tradition for centuries, so much so that even a Gajapati King was denied entry because he had married the daughter of a Mughal soldier. This practice is not a recent development, but an integral part of the temple’s longstanding customs and traditions. Similarly, the 11th-century Lingaraj Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, also permits entry exclusively to Hindus. This is not a modern or arbitrary rule, but one that is woven into the fabric of ritual tradition, cultural history, and religious sentiment, and has been respected for over a thousand years. In this case, the perpetrator knew that non-Hindus are not permitted to serve as temple officials at the Tirupati Temple. But despite this, the perpetrator’s decision to do so was a clear and deliberate violation of the rules of the temple. This was not a mere oversight but an intentional act that disregarded the temple’s religious customs and the deeply held beliefs of its devotees. While there are countless temples across India where such restrictions do not apply, the accused chose to violate the rules at one of the most revered sites, where serving as officials is explicitly prohibited to non-Hindus. Such actions, especially when the rules are clearly stated and widely understood, are not just a breach of protocol; they are an affront to Hindu religious sentiments and a violation of the sanctity of the temple. This constitutes a form of religious harassment and rightly deserves to be recorded in the hate crime database.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
