The symbol of ‘holy cross’ painted on a tree at the TTD-run Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS University) created a flutter here on Thursday.
The symbol in white paint was seen on the trunk of a tree near the Radiology Department located in a remote area on the campus with hardly any movement of the general public.
After it was noticed, people started thronging the spot and taking photographs, which later went viral on the social media platforms.
Even as the mediapersons made a beeline for capturing the image on the tree, SVIMS authorities initially remained tight-lipped, but later said that it would be probed.
It was not known if it was the handiwork of a staff member, or the attendants of patients.
SVIMS Medical Superintendent Ram gave a written complaint to the hospital’s Security Officer, Ilango Reddy, seeking investigation into the episode.
‘We don’t use symbols’
Meanwhile, Tirupati Pastors’ Fellowship president Arul Arasu condemned the incident, and accused certain political and hard-line outfits of blaming Christians for the incident.
Rev. Arasu said that members of his faith had always lived in harmony with the Hindus and had great regard for the TTD institutions.
“We Christians don’t use symbols such as a cross. We spread our ideology only through messages, wall writings, or pamphlets. Ten years ago, some miscreants had painted the ‘cross’ symbol at Balaji Nagar in Tirumala and blamed Christians for it,” he made it clear.
In this context, Rev. Arasu recalled the recent statement of BJP MP Subramanian Swamy rubbishing the accusations that the State government was ‘Christianising’ Tirumala.
