Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has alleged that the previous YSRCP government used animal fat and substandard ingredients in making Tirupati laddu, which is served as ‘prasad’ at the famous Sri Venkateswara temple. The Laddu prasadam at Tirumala is offered to crores of followers visiting the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple.
"Even Tirumala laddu was made with substandard ingredients...they used animal fat instead of ghee,” Naidu said while speaking at the NDA legislature party meeting in Amravati. The Andhra CM also asserted that pure ghee was now being used for preparing the laddu and that everything had been sanitised at the temple, leading to improvement in quality.
Following Naidu’s allegations, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh also targeted the Jagan Mohan Reddy government over the issue. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the minister said, "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.”
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The lord venkateswara swamy temple at Tirumala is our most sacred temple. I am shocked to learn that the @ysjagan administration used animal fat instead of ghee in the tirupati Prasadam. Shame on @ysjagan and the @ysrcparty government that couldn’t respect the religious… pic.twitter.com/UDFC2WsoLP
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) September 18, 2024
YSRCP Hits Back
The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP has vehemently rejected allegations made by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, labelling them as "malicious" and driven by a desire for political gain.
YSRCP Rajya Sabha member Subba Reddy condemned Naidu's remarks, asserting that they have tarnished the sanctity of the revered Tirumala shrine and undermined the faith of millions of Hindus.
"His comments about the Tirumala prasadam are extremely malicious. No person would speak such words or make such accusations,” Reddy wrote in a post on X.
This is not the first time when concerns have been raised on the Laddu prasadam distributed among followers at the Tirumala temple. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has earlier voiced strong criticism regarding the severe compromise in the quality of laddu prasadam distributed among the followers.