As millions of devotees of Sathya Sai Baba await with bated breath to know who succeeds him and controls the powerful Sathya Sai Trust, the Andhra Pradesh government is learnt to have hinted to the members that it would be forced to interfere if there is a power struggle.
Prompted by Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy told the trust members to ensure there was no power struggle or misuse of funds, which would not only upset millions of devotees but also force the government to intervene.
The CM is learnt to have cited the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act, 1959, which can be invoked to take over the trust.
Minister for Major Irrigation Dr J Geeta Reddy, who is coordinating with the trust members daily on behalf of the state government, said they would wait and watch for now. After the final rites of Sai Baba were performed on Wednesday morning, Governor Narasimhan and the CM discussed the issue. Later, the CM met a few important members of the trust.
“The government will be compelled to act if anything goes wrong in the trust,” the CM is said to have told the members.
“The government is hoping that the transition — with Sathya Sai Baba’s nephew J Ratnakar expected to take over the trust’s affairs — is smooth and without any interference from any claimants. We hope if Ratnakar is not chosen by the members to head the trust, whoever is nominated by them is acceptable to everyone concerned, including devotees,” an official accompanying the CM said.
Government officials fear a power struggle if the extended family members of Sai Baba lay claim to his legacy.
Meanwhile, a former student and close aide of the godman who had not been seen in the public since the announcement of his death made an appearance at his funeral. Aged around 30 years, Satyajit, who emerged in recent years as the one person closest to the Sai Baba, has been facing allegations of delaying treatment to the godman after he fell ill on March 28.
Local police officials in Puttaparthi said Satyajit was being protected by the ashram’s Seva Dal and not the police. “Satyajit is not a VIP for him to be given protection. He is a member of the Seva Dal and they are protecting him,” Puttaparthi Circle Inspector Naga Subbanna said.
There are allegations of a divide between the Andhra and Tamil members of the Sai Baba Trust. Satyajit hails from Tamil Nadu, like the secretary of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust former IAS officer K Chakravarthi.
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