Tirumala laddu : Former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Chandrababu Naidu to be severely reprimanded for spreading politically motivated lies about the use of animal fats in the preparation of the iconic Tirumala Laddu, disregarding the religious sentiments of millions, and urged for the truth to be brought to light. In his letter to Prme Minster on Sunday, Jagan wrote, urging Prime Minister Modi to take severe action against Naidu for his shameless act of spreading lies.
Jagan said that on September 18, during an informal Telugu Desam Party meeting, Chandrababu Naidu made the explosive claim that ghee used in preparing the Tirumala Laddus had been adulterated with animal fats. He alleged that instead of pure ghee, the most sacred prasadam was being made with tainted products, a comment that outraged devotees across the globe. However, according to Jagan Mohan Reddy, The tanker containing the suspect ghee, which arrived at Tirumala on July 12, 2024, was immediately rejected after failing quality tests.
The TTD, following its robust procurement and testing procedures, ensured that the ghee was never used in the preparation of the sacred prasadam. Despite this, Naidu made an irresponsible statement, accusing the temple of using adulterated ghee, knowing fully well that the ghee had been rejected. Jagan pointed out that Naidu’s actions were purely aimed at creating unrest and casting doubts on the religious institution for political gain. Jagan Mohan Reddy highlighted the strict protocols that the TTD has followed for decades in procuring ghee for prasadam preparation. The trust follows an e-tendering process, where suppliers are selected based on strict quality standards.
Once the ghee reaches the temple, three separate samples from each tanker are tested before being allowed for use. If even one sample fails, the entire tanker is rejected. During the period the TDP Government from 2014-19, there were 14 to 15 instances when the tankers were rejected and during the period of the YSRCP Government between 2019 to 2024, there were 18 instances when the tankers were rejected and not permitted to enter. With such robust checks and balances in place, the question of adulterated ghee being used for the preparation of prasadam simply does not arise,” Jagan asserted, reiterating that Naidu’s claims were a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. Jagan’s letter also addressed the alleged report from NDDB CALF Ltd, which Chandrababu Naidu cited to support his claims.
The report mentioned a possible deviation in the purity of the ghee, suggesting the presence of foreign fat. However, Jagan pointed out that the report came with serious disclaimers, noting that certain conditions, such as cows being fed high amounts of palm oil or suffering from energy deficiency, could lead to false positives in the testing methodology. This renders Naidu’s accusations even more baseless, as the report itself acknowledged the possibility of an erroneous result. Further discrediting Naidu’s accusations, Jagan clarified the false claim that the Karnataka Co-op Milk Producers Federation Ltd (KMF) had been the sole supplier of ghee to TTD during the Telugu Desam Party Government’s tenure.
In reality, during the period from 2015 to 2018 October, when the Telugu Desam Party was in power, the KMF did not supply ghee to TTD. The other private suppliers provided the ghee used at TTD. The YSRCP Government, in fact, took transformative steps to enhance the quality controls at TTD, including associating with the Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI) and establishing a Navaneeta Seva Goshala for pure ghee production in Tirumala. Jagan lambasted Naidu’s irresponsibility for bringing up these false accusations over two months after the ghee tanker was rejected, accusing him of deliberate political malfeasance.
a ghee tanker that arrived in Tirumala on July 12, 2024, failed three quality tests, prompting the samples to be sent to the NDDB CALF laboratory on July 17, with the analysis results reported on July 23, 2024. Crucially, the allegedly adulterated ghee was rejected and not permitted to enter TTD premises. However, Chandrababu Naidu, disregarding strong religious sentiments and with alleged political motives , raised the issue in a political party meeting on September 18, 2024, more than two months after the tanker was rejected.
Also Read : https://thecapital.org.in/ttd-to-hold-maha-shanti-yagam-amid-tirupati-laddu-controversy/