Andhra Pradesh: Chandrababu Naidu alleges use of animal fat in sacred Tirupati laddu during YSRCP regime, sparks row

HYDERABAD: In a shocking turn of events, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has made explosive allegations regarding the preparation of the sacred Tirupati laddu prasadam. During a political alliance meeting in Mangalagiri on September 18, Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of desecrating the holy site of Tirumala and compromising the sanctity of the renowned prasadam.

On Wednesday, a meeting of TDP, Janasena, and BJP alliance MLAs, MPs, and MLCs was held at CK Convention in Mangalagiri. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and BJP State President Purandeswari participated in this meeting. On this occasion, the three leaders unveiled a poster saying “This is a Good Government.”

During his speech, Chandrababu Naidu explained how the previous YSRCP rulers had dealt with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) issue. Naidu alleged that the previous administration replaced pure ghee with substances made from animal fat in the preparation of the laddus, a claim that has sent shockwaves through devotee communities. “The YSRCP government didn’t care about the quality of the laddu. They used animal fat instead of pure ghee and sold these to devotees,” Naidu stated, further accusing the previous rulers of exploiting Lord Venkateswara for illegal gains.

The allegations have ignited a political firestorm, with the BJP Andhra Pradesh echoing Naidu’s claims on social media.

BJP Andhra Pradesh on ‘X’ stated that “The YSP administration has defiled Tirumala deity and crores of Hindu worshipers by using animal fat in Tirumala Laddu production.

The TDP has linked these allegations to the recent change in ghee suppliers for the prasadam, questioning the motives behind replacing the long-standing Karnataka-based supplier with a Tamil Nadu company.

On the other hand, TDP on its official handle “X” has asked “Do you now understand why Jagan Reddy suddenly removed the Nandini ghee from KMF in Karnataka, which has been used in Tirupati laddu for 50 years? People now realize why he rejected the Nandini ghee that has been supplying for Tirupati laddu production for 50 years and gave it to a Tamil Nadu company instead. Why did Jagan refuse the high-quality Nandini ghee that has been used for 50 years? Isn’t it a conspiracy by Jagan Reddy to bring in low-quality ghee under the guise of lower prices, thereby making Tirupati laddu tasteless?”

However, former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy vehemently denied these accusations, calling them “poisonous propaganda.”

In a press statement, Reddy defended the sanctity of the prasadam preparation process, stating, “The highly sacred laddu prasadam is prepared with utmost purity by Sri Vaishnavites. There is a special procedure for preparing the laddu prasadam. No one interferes in this process.”