A R Foods, a company based in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, has found itself at the centre of a controversy after allegations surfaced about the supply of adulterated ghee used in the renowned Tirupati Laddu. Now the company is facing scrutiny, as concerns have expanded to include other temples where its products are used.
AR Foods, a company owned by Rajasekar, to the Palani Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu, following allegations that the same supplier provided adulterated ghee, containing beef fat, pig fat, and fish oil, to the Tirupati Temple. This has created a call for a thorough investigation not only into the supply chain but also into the broader management practices of temple trust, particularly after Rajasekar was appointed by the DMK government to manage the Palani Murugan Temple Trust.
The allegations have raised concerns about the offerings at religious sites and the oversight by state governments, with critics pointing fingers at what they describe as an ‘Anti-Sanatan Force’ allegedly supported by regional parties like YSRCP and DMK. The situation gained public attention after Selva Kumar, vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) industrial cell, took to social media to highlight the alleged malpractice.
In a post on X, Kumar raised alarms about A R Foods, claiming the company not only supplied ghee to the Tirupati temple but also to the Murugan temple in Palani, another religious site in Tamil Nadu.
Kumar’s post questioned the quality of the prasadam being distributed in temples under the administration of the state government, specifically urging that the ghee used at the Palani Murugan temple be tested for potential adulteration. He remarked, ‘The people have the right to know what’s being offered in the name of sacred prasadam’. Kumar alleged that Rajasekar, the owner of A R Foods, was appointed as a trustee of the Palani Murugan temple by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government
Comments