The laboratory tests have allegedly confirmed the presence of beef tallow, fish oil, and palm oil in the ghee used for preparing laddus at the revered Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati. Notably, this claim surfaced by the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has ignited a fierce political debate, with accusations flying between the TDP and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
The allegations have not only led to a political uproar but have also deeply offended religious sentiments Y.V. Subba Reddy, a senior YSRCP leader, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s uncle, and former TTD chairman, denied the claims, branding them as ‘heinous’ and an attack on the sanctity of the temple. Reddy challenged Naidu to prove his allegations in the presence of the deity, threatening legal action if Naidu failed to substantiate his claims.
However, a notice has been served to the former Y.V. Subba Reddy to question him about the allegations of fund diversion from the Temple Trust, using adulterated ingredients for Prasad & Laddu preparation. The allegations include misuse of 500 crore rupees and the use of animal fat for the preparations of the Tirupati laddos.
Nandini Ghee, the traditional milk and dairy product supplier to the temple, said that their supply was stopped by the temple committee for the past four years. It was only as recent as July of this year that their services was reinstated.
The controversy started when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government, led by Y.S, Jagan Mohan Reddy, of substituting ghee with animal fat in the prasadam offered at the temple. This claim was supported by TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy, who presented a lab report from a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory during a press conference.
The lab report, as per Reddy, certified the presence of beef tallow, animal fat- lard, and fish oil in the ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
IT Minister Nara Lokesh expressed his shock on X (formerly Twitter), saying, ‘Bhagwan Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala is our most sacred temple. I am shocked to learn that the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy administration used animal fat instead of ghee in the Tirupati Prasadam’.
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