Driver keeps Lanka President waiting as guards grow tense
Posted on August 22nd, 2016
By Express News Service
TIRUPATI: A major security lapse came to the fore during the visit of Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena to Tirumala on Sunday. He was forced to wait for 12 minutes for his car after a darshan atop the Tirumala hill, giving jitters to the staff of the Tiruumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), especially the security. An inquiry has been ordered into the lapse. SiriSena reached Tirumala late on Saturday night for a two-day pilgrimage.
Upon arrival, the Sri Lanka president was received by TTD chairman Chadalwada Krishnamurthy, executive officer (EO) Sambasiva Rao, Tirupati joint EO Pola Bhaskar and other officials. He made a night halt at the Sri Padmavathi guesthouse and arrangements were made for a visit to the temple of Venkateshwara at Tirumala early Sunday morning.
At 3 am Sunday, the president along with his wife Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari Sirisena, son Daham Tharaka and other family members attended the Suprabhata Seva. When they came out of the sanctum sanctorium, the driver of their car was not in the seat.
Sirisena and his wife waited for about 12 minutes inside the car as his security stood guard around it. Even TTD staffers scurried around, the driver coolly returned from his own darshan of the deity. Immediately, Sirisena was driven at speed to the guest house.
At around 6.30 am, during the VIP break time, Sirisena and his family returned to the temple to pay obeisance to the presiding deity. He spent about six minutes inside the sanctum sanctorum and TTD authorities presented him silk clothes and pandits administered Vedaaseervachanam to the family.
The minister in waiting, Andhra Pradesh’s forest minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy presented the president a replica of the Ananda Nilayam (the dome of the garbhalayam of the temple) on behalf of the AP government.
Later, Sirisena and his family members left for Bengaluru by road and were scheduled to fly back to Sri Lanka.
An inquiry has been ordered into the security lapse. It is learnt that the driver and other members of Sirisena’s retinue sought permission from the temple authorities for a darshan of the deity. They were reportedly permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorium despite the visit of the VVIP. Tirupati Urban superintendent of police Jayalashmi is learnt to have questioned the temple authorities for giving permission to drivers and other staff during the VVIP visit.
August 22nd, 2016 at 8:41 pm
Temple authorities wouldn’t have seen any difference between this Kawikola Karaya and the Driver.
This prostrating before Indian Hindu Gods by our political leaders is a shameful act that should be roundly condemned. While there are more important things to attend to in Sri Lanka, these hapless politicians seek divine intervention and protection much to the cost of our people.
Shame on the Jadapalana lot!
August 22nd, 2016 at 9:04 pm
Agree with Ratnapala.
It is indeed UTTERLY SHAMEFUL to see our Sinhala Buddhist politicians going to India and PROSTRATION themselves before Hindu Gods!
What is WRONG with these people? Are they Buddhists or adherents of some KAVALAM religion??
Why are we, the inheritors to the most internally consistent of religions, led by these confused addlepated idiots who believe in nothing that is principled?
Yes, Ratnapala, I too am disgusted!
August 22nd, 2016 at 9:06 pm
Oops!
I meant “PROSTRATING” themselves ….
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:29 am
This is an ill conceived Buddhist ritual. They cannot do without Gods. Even in Buddhist Temples they have such absurdities. Venerable Late Soma Thera was one who spoke strongly against God worship in temples.
August 23rd, 2016 at 3:07 am
Traitor vairapala sorrysena going mader and mader by the day. He should’ve sought relief from a Buddhist
temple if the traitor aappaya is a real Buddhist. He went to Batticaloa and didn’t want to go to a temple there. Traitor
low life is shaming our great kings of the Polonnaruwa ear where this uneducated moron hailing from. Vairapala
should’ve gone to Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura or Kandy to seek help from his religion.
He is a modern day
aritta keevendu. Zero brain cells, only good at taking bad decisions to destroy Sinhalese race, Sri Lanka and
Buddhism. God make the baddies go insane before
destroying them. That’s what is happening to this traitor kalakanniya who is destroying our beloved country,
Buddhism and Sri Lanka by rubber stamping everything catholic-run UNPatriotic doing. Hope we will see
the demise of a traitor of the highest calibre.
August 23rd, 2016 at 5:24 am
Charles,
You are wrong. In Sri Lankan Buddhist temples we have Vishnu, katragama and Saman Devalas and some times Natha Deviyo too. What the hell is the South Indian Tirupathy ? Nothing to do with Sinhalese or Buddhists.