Reacting to allegations of using animal fat in the Tirupati Laddu Prasadam, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stated on Friday that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is “politicising religious matters.” Chandrababu Naidu had accused the previous YSR Congress-led government of using animal fat instead of ghee at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati.
Reddy clarified that the tender process for ingredients takes place every six months and follows long-established criteria. He emphasized that all suppliers must provide an NABL certificate and product quality certification. ”
TTD collects samples from the ghee, and only products that pass the certification are used. We rejected the products 18 times during our regime,” he added.
Executive officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), Shamala Rao, commented on the matter, stating that, under CM Naidu’s instructions, a lab test was ordered to address concerns about the quality of the Prasadam. Rao explained that when she took over as the executive officer, Naidu had expressed concerns about the ghee procured for the laddu, stressing its sacredness as an offering to Lord Venkateswara Swamy. “Any deviation in quality would lead to ‘apavithram’ (non-sacred offerings),” she noted. Rao further stated that a lack of internal and external lab testing facilities complicated the situation, and the low rates quoted by tenderers raised doubts about the purity of the cow ghee supplied. “We warned all suppliers that they would be blacklisted if their ghee failed to pass the lab test. The collected samples were sent to a government-controlled lab, and the reports were shocking,” Rao revealed.
On Thursday, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh shared a video showing CM Naidu claiming that animal fat had been used in the Prasadam. Lokesh expressed shock at the discovery and criticized the YS Jagan administration for allegedly disrespecting the religious sentiments of millions of devotees.
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However, YSRCP leader YV Subbareddy denied the allegations, asserting that only organic ingredients, including ghee, have been used for the past three years. He called the accusations baseless and a “vile allegation” designed to mislead the public and harm the reputation of the YSRCP government.