The opposition YSR Congress of ex-Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, has snapped back at Andhra Pradeesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over fresh allegations of adulterated ingredients used to make laddoos (distributed as devotional offerings) at the Tirupati temple.
The YSRCP reminded Naidu, whose TDP is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party that is in power at the centre, that laddoos were sent to the consecration of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya in January 2024, a major event for the BJP attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Members from the TTD, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, i.e., the temple's governing body, each donated 2,000kg of pure ghee towards this preparation, the YSRCP declared.
On Friday Naidu had alleged that during the previous YSRCP government the laddoos were made using ghee mixed with "chemicals used to clean bathrooms".
Addressing a village meeting at Kalugotla village in Kurnool district, he alleged the last government tried to undermine the prestige of Lord Venkateswara Swamy with adulterated prasadam (i.e., the offerings). He also alleged adulterated ghee had been supplied to the famous Srisailam Temple at the same time.
YSRCP leaders have been arguing a special team from the Central Bureau of Investigation gave a clean chit, i.e., said that the adulteration did not occur. However, the TDP boss has claimed Jagan Reddy's uncle, YV Subba Reddy, had tried to block lab reports that said otherwise.
Hitting back, Subba Reddy, a Rajya Sabha MP said the 2022 report from the Central Food Technological Research Institute did not mention animal fat adulteration in the ghee used to make the consecrated sweet, but purportedly observed that ghee was being adulterated.
He rejected the TDP-led NDA government's allegation that he had suppressed that report.
"If it was suppressed, then why would I even write to CFTRI to test the samples in the first place," Subba Reddy asked.
He alleged that despite the SIT report "clearing the issue, the state government was continuing to spread false claims and erecting hoardings to blame YSRCP".
