Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday alleged that substandard ingredients and animal fat were used in making the Tirupati laddu, a consecrated sweet, during the previous YSRCP government. The Tirupati Laddu prasadam is given at the revered Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, which is run by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
"Even Tirumala laddu was made with substandard ingredients...they used animal fat instead of ghee," claimed Naidu while addressing an NDA legislature party meeting here. The CM asserted that pure ghee was now being used and everything has been sanitised at the temple, leading to improved quality.
Taking to X, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh targeted the Jagan Mohan Reddy administration over the issue.
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, he said in a post on X. Targeting the erstwhile YSRCP government, Lokesh alleged that it could not respect the religious sentiments of crores of devotees.
Meanwhile, YSRCP leader and Rajya Sabha member Y V Subba Reddy, who served as the chairman of TTD for two terms, alleged that Naidu had severely damaged the sanctity of the holy Tirumala and the faith of crores of Hindus with his comments.
His comments about the Tirumala prasadam are extremely malicious. No person would speak such words or make such accusations, said Subba Reddy in a post on X. The former TTD chairman threw a challenge to the CM that he would take an oath over this issue along with his family before the deity to strengthen the faith of devotees and asked if Naidu would do the same.
Senior YSRCP leader B Karunakar Reddy on Thursday said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu levelled allegations on the preparation of famous Tirupati laddus only to derive political mileage.
Karunakar Reddy, who twice served as the chairman of TTD, the official custodian of the world-renowned Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, alleged that Naidu's claims that Tirupati laddus (consecrated sweet) were laced with animal fat during YSRCP regime was aimed at politically targetting the opposition party and its chief and former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
