YSRCP government accused of tarnishing Tirumala's sanctity by CM Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has alleged that the previous YSRCP government had desecrated Tirumala, the abode of world-renowned Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, but noted the sanitisation process has already begun.

The CM further alleged that the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government had served substandard food to the Tirumala devotees to not only undermine its holiness but also hurt the devotees’ sentiments.

“After finding the evidence that substandard ingredients were used to make prasadam (consecrated food), we will take stringent action against the people responsible for it,” said Naidu in a press release.

He made these comments on the sidelines of inaugurating an Anna Canteen at the secretariat on Thursday. Anna Canteens offer subsidised meals for poor people.

The chief minister said Tirumala deity Sri Venkateswara Swamy is one of the most revered Gods for the Hindus and alleged that the YSRCP government had completely desecrated it.

Meanwhile, IT Minister Nara Lokesh claimed that the quality of 'annadanam' (free food for Tirumala devotees) and Tirupati laddu diminished under the YSRCP government.

“Corruption was done unlike any other time before. As part of that, adulterated ghee was used. Immediately after the NDA government was formed, a new executive officer (EO) was appointed and all the powers were vested in the EO to sanitise the entire system to ensure that earlier irregularities do not recur,” Lokesh told reporters at Renigunta Airport.

As part of that endeavour, he said that ghee, rice and all vegetables were tested following Naidu’s directives to maintain quality while the EO specifically dispatched ghee samples to the NDDB lab, whose results were disseminated today.

“Very clearly it was established in the report that lard, beef fat and fish oil were there. If Chandrababu Naidu says something, he will back it up with evidence...” added Lokesh.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's claim that animal fat was used in Tirupati laddus during the previous government triggered a massive political row on Thursday with the YSRCP accusing Naidu of indulging in "heinous allegations" for political gains and TDP circulating a lab report to back the claim.

During an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday, Naidu claimed that the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making laddus.

TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy in a press conference claimed that the adulteration has been confirmed by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory, on the ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.

He displayed the purported lab report which apparently confirmed the presence of "beef tallow", “Lard” and “Fish Oil” in the given ghee sample.

The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024 and the lab report was dated July 16.

Reacting to the development, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh noted that the lab reports clearly established that beef fat, fish oil and lard were used to make laddus.

He highlighted that CM Naidu on Wednesday revealed these developments and backed them up today with ‘evidence’.

"The lord 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," he said on Wednesday in a post on 'X'.

However, there was no reaction from TTD.

Senior YSRCP leader and Rajya Sabha member YV Subba Reddy, who served as chairman of TTD for four years, noted that Naidu’s allegations had undermined the hallowed nature of the deity and hurt the sentiments of the devotees.

"It is unimaginable to even say that animal fat was used in the consecrated food offered to the deity and the laddus given to devotees. There is no other heinous attempt than alleging that animal fat was being used," said Reddy.

Asserting that he is a Hindu who worships Sri Venkateswara Swamy, the Rajya Sabha member challenged Naidu to come and swear before the deity whether his allegations were true or false.

He further said if Naidu fails to substantiate his allegations and comes up with proof , he would take legal recourse and would go up to the Supreme Court.

Senior YSRCP leader and another former TTD chairman B Karunakar Reddy, charged that Naidu made sacrilegious allegations over Tirupati laddus for political mileage.

Karunakar Reddy, who twice served as the chairman of TTD alleged that Naidu’s claims of lacing Tirupati laddus (consecrated sweet) with animal fat during YSRCP government was aimed at politically targeting the opposition party and its president and former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

"To attack YSRCP, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the previous government (YSRCP), he (Naidu) made heinous allegations that animal fat was used in making Swamy’s (deity) laddus. It is a deplorable experiment," Reddy told a vernacular news channel.

Assailing the ruling TDP and opposition YSRCP for allegedly indulging in ‘heinous’ politics over Tirupati laddus, AP Congress Committee (APCC) president Y S Sharmila on Thursday called for a CBI probe to ascertain whether animal fat was really used to make the sweet.

Andhra Pradesh BJP in a post on its 'X' handle said the remarks of CM Naidu on the laddu issue created anguish among all Hindus.

The saffron party appealed to the state government to immediately investigate all the issues that hurt the sentiments of Hindus in the previous government.

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the alleged use of animal fat in making the laddu is a deep betrayal of faith and trust of Hindus who pray to Lord Venkateswara.

In a post on 'X', he demanded that the Andhra Pradesh government conduct an immediate probe into the matter to uncover the truth and take strong action against those responsible.

BJP MLA in Telangana, Raja Singh, said the alleged use of "beef fat and fish oil" in making the sacred laddu prasadam during the previous YSR Congress rule is a direct assault on our rich cultural and religious heritage which cannot and should not be tolerated.

He urged Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take immediate action against those responsible for the "grave offence".

In August 2023, Nandini brand milk producer Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) chairman Bheema Naik alleged that the temple body was procuring low quality ghee. However, the then TTD executive officer A V Dharma Reddy said that the temple body procures cow ghee only from those suppliers who pass the twin tests of uncompromising quality and least cost (L1 bidder) through a rigourous e-tender process, dismissing Naik's allegations.

Moreover, he said that KMF, which never qualified as an L1 bidder had supplied ghee only once in the past 20 years, including failing to deliver the consignment on time.