Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan began an 11-day “Prayaschitta Diksha” at the Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Guntur on Sunday. This act of penance is in response to the alleged use of “animal fat” in the Tirupati Laddu prasadam served at the Tirumala Temple.
In a post on X, Kalyan expressed his deep personal hurt over the claims that the sacred prasadam was compromised. He stated, “I feel cheated from within. I am taking a vow to seek forgiveness from the Lord and will fast for eleven days.” He plans to visit Tirupati for a personal darshan of Lord Balaji on October 1 and 2 to complete his atonement.
Kalyan expressed shock upon learning about the alleged contamination of the Tirumala Laddu, which he considers sacred. He criticized the previous government for failing to address this issue earlier, saying, “Not being able to detect this sin is a stain on the Hindu race.”
The controversy has also attracted attention from the Telangana Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which has called for strict action against those involved. VHP Vice President Ram Singh stated, “Everyone involved should be immediately arrested and punished.” He accused those responsible of compromising the prasadam for profit.
This uproar follows comments by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used during the previous YSRCP government. In response, former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is politicizing religious matters.