The politics of Andhra Pradesh has heated up over the alleged adulteration in Tirupati Laddu. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan clarified that CBI has not given any kind of ‘clean chit’ to YSRCP. He said that the SIT report clearly shows that the ingredient used in the laddu was not ‘ghee’ but a plant-based substance.
Accused the previous government of suppressing the report
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also took a tough stand in this matter and said that according to the SIT report, adulteration of palmolein oil and chemicals was found in the ghee. The Chief Minister alleged that the CFTRI Lab report in 2022 had also confirmed adulteration in ghee, but the then government ‘deliberately suppressed’ that report.
Demand for strict action against those responsible
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan reiterated that the reports of the investigating agencies are being distorted, while documentary facts point towards adulteration. He demanded that strict action should be taken against those responsible and complete transparency should be maintained in matters related to the faith of devotees.
In the press conference, Naidu said that in the year 2022, when the then YSRCP government was in power, a report by the Central Food Technological Research Institute had also clearly revealed adulteration in ghee. He said that after becoming the Chief Minister in 2024, as part of the purification process of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), ghee samples were sent to NDDB-CALF, where the test found adulteration of animal fat.
Serious allegations against the previous government
Naidu announced the formation of a one-member committee, calling adulteration the biggest sin against God. This step has been taken after the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) came out.
The Chief Minister said that NDDB has clearly stated that ghee is adulterated with animal fat. I said the same thing. Today SIT has submitted its report. The SIT report has confirmed adulteration of palmolein oil and chemicals in ghee. The Chief Minister alleged that this alleged sin took place during the tenure of the previous government led by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during which many temples were also attacked.
Describing Lord Venkateswara as his family deity, Naidu said he believed that God had saved his life during the 2003 Naxal claymore mines attack.
It is noteworthy that the management of Shri Venkateswara Temple is with TTD and lakhs of devotees from India and abroad come here every year for darshan. The controversy had erupted in September 2024 when Naidu alleged in an NDA meeting that substandard ingredients and animal fat were used in making temple prasad laddus. The case is being investigated by the Special Investigation Team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
