Tirupati Laddus: The controversy over the presence of animal fat and fish oil in Tirupati temple’s laddu has reached Delhi. The Union Health Ministry has sought a report from the Andhra Pradesh government. Health Minister JP Nadda said on Friday, “I have spoken to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The temple’s prasad (laddu) will be tested.”
The controversy started after state CM Naidu’s TDP on Wednesday alleged that ghee containing animal fat and fish oil was mixed in the laddus (prasadam) served at the Tirupati temple during the YSR Congress government’s tenure in the state.
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The next day, TDP claimed to have confirmed its allegations by showing a lab report. Against this, YSR Congress demanded the High Court to form a committee to investigate Naidu’s allegations. The court will hear this on September 25.
3.50 lakh laddus are made daily in the 300-year-old kitchen of Tirupati temple. Tirumala Trust earns Rs 500 crore annually from Prasadam.
Jagan Mohan government tarnished the sanctity of Tirumala
On September 18, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu had said that in the last 5 years, the Jagan Mohan government and YSRCP leaders had tarnished the sanctity of Tirumala.
The temple administration formed a special committee of four members
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has not made any official statement on behalf of the temple administration. However, a four-member special committee has been formed to monitor the quality of ghee.
The lab report was received on July 17. Since then, this report is in the public domain, but it has not been officially confirmed. Neither the name of the institution that issued the report is mentioned nor the place where the samples were tested is mentioned.
Supreme Court lawyer Vineet Jindal has filed a complaint against Jagan Mohan Reddy, the contractor and TTD officials in this case. It said that they have played with the religious sentiments of the people by mixing ghee containing animal fat in the prasadam.
He said that an FIR should be lodged against them and strict action should be taken. Meanwhile, Union Food Minister Prahlad Joshi has sought a detailed report in this matter.
TDP’s allegations, lab report made public in 2 days
September 19: TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy made the lab report public in a press conference on Thursday, September 19. He informed that the sample was sent to Gujarat-based Livestock Laboratory, NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) CALF Limited (Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food) on July 9, 2024.
18 September: Andhra CM and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu said that fat was being mixed in the prasad. Naidu said that the contract with the company from which ghee was being procured is being terminated and it is being blacklisted. The investigation of the case has been handed over to the vigilance. The company had received the tender for supply a year ago.
YSCRP MP said- allegations of adulteration in Prasadam are fake
Former principal chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam and YSR Party MP YV Subba Reddy said, ‘CM Naidu’s statement on the sanctity of Tirupati Laddu is very insulting. This has hurt the sentiments of Hindus all over the world. He said that TTD maintained the highest standards in preparing Naivedyam and Prasadam from 2019 to 2024 and also improved the quality compared to before 2019.
Who said what on the Prasadam controversy?
TDP is politicising religious matters. The tender process for prasadam is done every 6 months. The eligibility criteria for suppliers has not changed for decades. Suppliers have to provide NABL certificate and product quality certificate. TTD collects samples from ghee. Only those products are used which get a pass certificate. We rejected the product 18 times during our rule.
– YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, former CM of Andhra Pradesh
This is a direct attack on our cultural and religious heritage, which should not be tolerated. – T. Raja, BJP MLA, Telangana
It is clear from the investigation that fish oil was mixed in it. This is a conspiracy and an attack on Sanatan Dharma. The culprit should be punished. – Acharya Satyendra Das, Chief Priest of Ram Janmabhoomi
Adulteration in Tirupati temple prasadam concerns the sentiments and faith of crores of people not only in Andhra Pradesh but across the country and even internationally. The Congress party has taken it very seriously. We are demanding a CBI inquiry into the issue. We have also written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah with the same demand.
– Andhra Pradesh Congress President YS Sharmila
Ghee included in Prasad is adulterated, YSRCP-TDP government has different suppliers
YSRCP had changed the ghee supplier last year, irregularities were found. Actually, for the last 50 years, Karnataka KMF was giving ghee to the trust at concessional rates. Every six months, 1400 tonnes of ghee is used in the temple. In July 2023, the company refused to supply at a lower rate, after which the Jagan government (YSRCP) gave the supply work to 5 firms. One of these is AR Dairy Foods located in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Irregularities were found in its product in July this year.
The TDP government blacklisted ghee sellers in July this year. In June this year, the TDP government appointed senior IAS officer J Shyamala Rao as the new executive officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).
He ordered a quality check of Prasadam (laddu). A committee was formed for this. The committee gave many suggestions to improve the taste and quality of Prasadam. Also, samples were sent to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Gujarat for testing ghee. The report that came out in July mentioned fat.
After this, TTD returned the stock of ghee sent by AR Dairy Foods, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu and blacklisted the contractor. After this, TTD started purchasing ghee from Karnataka Milk Federation.
Ghee was bought from the old supplier at the rate of Rs 320 per kg. Whereas Tirupati Trust is now buying ghee from Karnataka Cooperative Milk Federation (KMF) at the rate of Rs 475 per kg.
300 years old kitchen, only brahmins make 3.5 lakh laddus
Tirupati temple is one of the most popular and richest religious places in the world. Every day around 70 thousand devotees visit Lord Venkateswara Swamy here. Its administration is handled by Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD).
3.50 lakh laddus are made daily with pure desi ghee in the 300-year-old kitchen ‘Potu’ built in the temple premises. This is the main prasad of the temple, which is prepared by about 200 Brahmins.
Laddus contain pure gram flour, boondi, sugar, cashews and pure ghee. The trust had sent about one lakh laddus to Ayodhya at the time of consecration of Ram temple.
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