YSRCP pleads innocent, seeks PM’s intervention in laddu controversy

Amaravati: Putting up a brave face after an all-out attack by the Telugu Desam Party and its allies and nationwide public outrage over a lab report confirming use of animal fat in the making of Tirumala laddus, YSRCP president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and take action against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, for leveling ‘baseless and false’ allegations against him and his party.

In a letter to Modi, which was released to the media on Sunday, Reddy said, “I am writing this letter to draw your kind attention to the outrageous developments in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Attempts are being made by the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity and reputation of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Lord Venkateshwara has crores of Hindu devotees not just in India but across the globe and if the delicate situation is not handled carefully, these lies could precipitate a widespread agony, having far-reaching consequences on various fronts.”

While the party has already approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a judicial or any other court-monitored probe into the entire controversy, YSRCP MLC and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Botcha Satyanarayana sought a CBI probe into the row. The BJP and Jana Sena Party, allies of TDP as well as several Hindu outfit activists and religious leaders sought a high-level probe into the controversy with a fixed timeframe to submit a

report.

A lab run by NDDB in Gujarat in July confirmed the use of animal fat in ghee used for making of laddus, which are offered to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.

Jagan said the new government has failed on all fronts with respect to the fulfillment of the commitments made to the electorate prior to the elections. The new government could not even pass the general budget for the current financial year fearing that the appropriations to be made would expose Naidu’s insincerity towards his election promises and will result in backlash from the people of the State.

“The people of the State lost trust in the abilities of Naidu. Mindful of this and for purposes of diverting the people’s attention from his failures, Naidu had spread blatant lies against the practices of the TTD,” he said alleging that the ghee that was being used in the preparation of the prasadams in the Tirumala temple was adulterated and that the ghee contain animal fats. He further alleged falsely and recklessly that instead of ghee, animal fats were used in the preparation of Tirumala laddus, the prasadam that occupies a very special place in the hearts of crores of Hindu devotees.

Reddy said this is indeed a lie spread with political motives and this false propaganda has the potential to hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees across the globe. “Sir, I would like to briefly summarise this tragic situation before going into details. The tanker containing the possibly adulterated ghee arrived at Tirupati on July 12, 2024, and the same was rejected, the ghee was not used in the preparation of the prasadams,” he stated in the letter.

“Once the tendering process is complete and the supplier who has quoted the lowest is selected, the same would be placed before the Board of Trustees for their approval. This has been the process in place for the past several decades, even during the period of the TDP government between 2014 to 2019,” he added.