GHHF - Press Release: Demolition of ILLEGAL Churches in Tirupati; TUDA orders the demolition of unauthorized Churches; Demolition Order Attached

It has come to our notice and has been observed that there are several illegally built Structures / Churches officially identified & notified by Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) and issued formal orders for demolition in Tirupati, the Holiest City & Spiritual Capital for all Hindus, and revered vet honorably.

Now, Let’s draw a parallel to this hot-button issue & ask ourselves: Will such illegal #Hindu Temples be allowed or encouraged in the Vatican, the permanent seat of the Pope & the center for Christianity?! or in Mecca, Saudi Arabia? You are aware that Non-Muslims cannot even set foot in Mecca!! Reflect on this. Think. Rethink.

Recognizing the severity of the illegal construction of these structures /Churches, TUDA issued an order to follow the law to demolish immediately, as All of these illegal structures are built without any permission whatsoever from either The District Collector, the Tirupati Urban Development Authority, or the Mandal Officer, whose authority is final.

GHHF has taken a serious note of the issue, and is legally taking up the issue, and brought it to the attention of The Commissioner of TUDA and urged action, to act as per law and yet they have not complied even after 4 months have passed. Now GHHF is evaluating measures to take action against the Commissioner of TUDA for his sheer dereliction of duties.

This is a serious matter needing urgent action, hence GHHF initiated a call to an active awareness campaign to Educate the General Public about the Rampant construction of illegal Structures/Churches in India. These Churches are being funded and built defying the laws governing the Nation. We reiterate that It is the responsibility of every Indian citizen and every human being to respect and follow the law of the land,  The Constitution of the country clearly specifies the rules and regulations pertaining to the of construction any such structures. Anyone who is in violation or anybody who goes against the law must be dealt with.

Educating the public about the law regarding illegal structures is the fundamental duty of every Indian Citizen.

This is Issued in the public interest as part of the GHHF Continued & Periodic Awareness Campaign.

All legitimate inquiries are encouraged to contact.

Email: ghhfusa.org@gmail.com
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Exhibit A: Request to review a copy of the TUDA order, dated & issued in the public interest.

[GHHF] “Demolish the unlawful construction and immediate stoppage of the unlawful operations” of Churches in Tirupati. TUDA Vice Chairman orders the Commissioner to take immediate action as requested by GHHF through an Attorney.

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation has been very sincerely trying to understand the laws pertaining to the construction of minority-related structures. We have come to realize that many churches did not receive the permits to build churches in the Tirupati area. In order to obtain accurate and proper information, through the Right to Information Act, we had written letters to the Collector, TUDA officials, Mandal Officers, and other authorities to provide information on the following:

1)      How many churches were given permission to be built in Tirupati?
2)      Requested the addresses of the Churches they had given permission to build.
3)      How many people were attending the duly constructed Churches?
4)      Whether they provided any financial assistance to these churches.

The Response:

TUDA and other authorities responded by saying that they have not given any permission to any churches to be built in Tirupati Metropolitan Area. They also indicated they do not have any addresses of duly constructed churches; they do not have any information about the number of people attending Churches and they provided no financial assistance to any of kind.

Attorney Sri Kaveti Sreenivasa Rao agreed to take up the case after he looked at different Acts, GOs, and information obtained from the Right to Information Act. Then we collected the addresses of 12 churches with their addresses and pictures to be included in the legal notice as examples. We now estimate that there may be as many as 100 or more churches operating in the Tirupati municipality area.                

While the Attorney also sent the Legal Notice to all the relevant authorities indicating that “these churches are fully functional and are operating without any lawful permissions and licenses from the Municipal Authorities, Tirupati Urban Development Authority, Local police Authorities, Fire Department, Pollution Control Board, etc. In the event any congregation assembles without the permission or license of law it constitutes an “unlawful assembly” as per the Indian Penal Code.

Our Legal Notice “Request to demolish the unlawful constructions and immediate stoppage of the unlawful operation of churches in Tirupati without lawful permission and likely to endanger public safety, peace, tranquility and order reg.”

Here is What the Law says about Permission to construct the buildings

As per section 268 of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act 1994 (Andhra Pradesh Act of 1994) and as per the amended G.O. Ms.No.376 dated 20.11.2012: the following Notification was issued which requires permission from the District Collector:

In rule 26 of the said rules, after the existing provision, the following shall be added namely ;-

“No site shall be used for the construction of a building intended for public worship or religious purposes without the prior approval of the Collector of the District who may refuse such approval if, in his opinion, the use of the site for the proposed construction of the building is likely to endanger public peace and order, after giving an opportunity to the applicant to show cause against such refusal” (C.R. BISWAL, PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT, AP)

TUDA Responds – Take necessary action

TUDA received the Legal Notice on 09-05-2022.

On 27-07-2022. The Vice-Chairman Sri S Hari Krishna sent an order asking The Commissioner to take appropriate action. As per law, they are required to demolish the illegal churches since they did not take permission from the relevant authorities such as the Collector, TUDA, and Superintendent of Police.

The Attorney indicated in the Legal Notice that if they fail to correct these errors, either jointly or severally, he will file a suitable writ in the competent constitutional court. In such cases, they will be fully responsible for all the expenses.

Let us hope they will take appropriate action as per law. There is a precedent and clear instance of illegal buildings that were demolished in Andhra Pradesh because they did not have proper permits to build them. We expect the same to prevail.

Also, the TUDA letter as the response is attached.

EXHIBIT B: TUDA 's Official Order to "Demolish Unlawful Construction".