The controversy over appointment of Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju as the chairperson of MANSAS (Maharaja Alak Narayan Society of Arts and Sciences) Trust and Simhachalam temple trust continues to rage, as the battle has now reached the high court.
Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju is the daughter of former MP P Ananda Gajapathi Raju, elder brother of senior TDP leader and ex-Union minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
Till Ananda Gajapathi Raju was alive, he was the chairman of all family trusts, including MANSAS and after his death, Ashok became the chairman.
However, a few months ago, the YSR Congress party government brought Sanchaita, a lawyer, NGO activist and BJP women wing leader, into picture and made her the chairperson of the Raju family trusts. This has naturally upset Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who moved the court.
On Monday, Ashok expressed hope that he would be back as the chairman of the MANSAS trust again as he had full faith in the courts.
He alleged that the present YSRC government was violating all norms in the MANSAS Trust case as it was doing in the case of the high court judgements.
Stating that he was also one of the trustees as per the registered deed of MANSAS Trust, Ashok said Sanchaita had come from nowhere.
He said the woman had no right to be part of the trust, as there was not a single instance of Sanchaita taking care of her father (her mother Uma Gajapathi Raju got divorced from Ananda Gajapathi Raju long ago).
“She had never been with Gajapathi Raju family nor had she participated in any of the festivities in 105-odd temples maintained by the trust. My brother used to feel bad about the language she was using when he was alive. Now, she says she will restore the glory of the trust. What she is doing now is only trying to sell the trust lands at cheaper rates,” he alleged.
