Naidu claims animal fat used in Tirupati laddoos, YSRCP refutes
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has alleged that the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government used animal fat in the preparation of Tirupati laddoos. He made these allegations during a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislative party meeting on Wednesday. The YSRCP, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has dismissed these claims as baseless and malicious.
Naidu accuses YSRCP of compromising Tirumala's sanctity
Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) formed a government in Andhra Pradesh in June with the Jana Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claimed that the previous administration used animal fat in the prasad laddoos from Sri Venkateswara Temple. He stated, "In the past 5 years, YSR Congress party leaders have tarnished the sanctity of Tirumala. They compromised on...quality of 'Annadanam' (free meals) and even contaminated...Tirumala Laddu by using animal fat instead of ghee."
YSRCP leader refutes Naidu's allegations
Senior YSR Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy has refuted Naidu's allegations, accusing him of damaging the sanctity of the Tirumala shrine. "Chandrababu Naidu has severely damaged...sanctity of Tirumala and the faith of crores of Hindus. His comments about...Tirumala prasad are extremely malicious," Reddy wrote on X. He further challenged Naidu to take an oath before God regarding his claims about the Tirumala 'prasad.'
Naidu assures improved quality under current administration
Naidu assured that the current administration is using pure ghee and has sanitized everything at the temple, leading to improved quality. He added, "However, we are now using pure ghee. We are striving to protect...sanctity of the TTD." Following Naidu's allegations, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh also criticized the previous government over this issue.
Ghee supply contract changes under scrutiny
During the YSRCP's tenure, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) had awarded the ghee supply contract to a private contractor, replacing the 'Nandini' brand of ghee from Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). This change led to several complaints about laddu quality. On August 29, the NDA government reinstated KMF as the ghee supplier for TTD, which uses about 10,000kg of ghee daily for its prasad laddus.
