Naidu's Tirupati Laddu Claim Under The Scanner As TTD Says Adulterated Ghee That Arrived In July Never Used: Report

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding alleged use of animal fat in Tirupati laddus, the Tirumala Tirupati Deasthanams (TTD), the trusts that manages the temple, has reportedly denied that adulterated ghee that arrived in July was used to prepare the laddus.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra had on Wednesday (18 September) claimed that animal fat was used to make Tirupati laddus under the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.

The Andhra CM's claim over Tirupati laddus sparked a massive row.

According to a report in The Print, when asked about whether the batches found to be adulterated were actually used for the preparation of the venerated prasadam at the Tirupati temple, the executive officer of the TTD categorically said, “No."

Naidu claimed that under the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government, the Tirupati laddus were made with substandard ingredients, including the alleged use of animal fat instead of pure ghee.

Naidu has reportedly said that the sentiments of millions of devotees have been hurt on discovering the truth of how the laddus were being prepared before his government came to power in June

"However, according to Syamala, who took over as the executive officer of the trust days after the Naidu-led alliance formed the government on 12 June, the ghee said to be contaminated with fish oil, lard and beef tallow, besides other elements like vegetable oils, was supplied in July," The Print report said.

Out of 10 ghee tankers supplied by Tamil Nadu's AR Dairy, four were found to be of inferior quality based on human sensory perception of TTD experts.

Samples from these four tankers, two of which arrived on 6 July and the others on 12 July, were sent to the National Dairy Development Board’s Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (NDDB CALF) in Anand, Gujarat for adulteration testing.

“That ghee was never used, 100 percent,” Syamala was quoted as saying by ThePrint Saturday.

The adulterated ghee from the four tankers was set aside and returned to AR Dairy after the NDDB CALF report, which confirmed both animal and vegetable fat contamination.

According to Syamala, of the five agencies supplying ghee to TTD at that time, only the samples collected from AR Dairy tankers were found to be of abnormally low quality.

In a press conference held at Tirumala on Friday, Syamala had said that the samples were sent to external labs for testing for the “first time in history of TTD”.

YSRCP leaders, led by former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, are now challenging Naidu’s allegations.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Jagan highlighted that Naidu was in power when the adulterated ghee was supplied and samples were collected and tested.

Jagan dismissed Naidu’s claims, stating, “Unfortunately, the CM is making a controversy from a rejected stock’s test report".

I Y R Krishna Rao, former chief secretary during Naidu’s previous tenure, was quoted by The Print as saying, “If the CM’s claims are based on the rejected lot following the NDDB report, then his allegations of animal fat in Tirupati laddus are unfounded.”

“Unless the government or the TTD have some other solid evidence to support the astonishing charges on YSRCP… If not, the issue might even boomerang on Naidu and TDP,” Krishna, who has previously served as TTD's executive officer, said.

Krishna added that Naidu’s allegations seemed like someone wantonly mixed the said animal fat in the ghee in order to hurt Hindu sentiments.

"I find the claims hard to believe. Is there a proof?” questioned Krishna.

“The sensitive issue should have been handled very delicately, but was used politically,” the retired administrator said.

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