Nandini ghee is a popular product of Karnataka Milk Federation.
| Photo Credit: MANJUNATH HS

The controversy over the ghee being supplied to the temple in Tirupati has led to an increase in demand for Nandini products.

“The TTD prasadam issue has created a high demand for clarified butter sold by Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) under the Nandini Ghee brand,” MLA and District Milk Union chairman Balachandra Jarkiholi said in Belagavi on September 23.

“Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s allegation of adulteration of laddus has created an unprecedented high demand for Nandini ghee in India,” the former KMF chairman told reporters.

Years ago, KMF supplied ghee to the temple to make laddus. Later, with a change in leadership in the temple committee, the order was cancelled, and tenders were called. KMF did not supply ghee as the company could not match the lowest quoted price. “We did not want to compromise on quality and therefore did not participate in the tender process. The tender for the supply of ghee was awarded to a private company,” Mr Jarkiholi explained.

“I do not know if the CM’s statement about animal fat and fish oil in the laddus is true. A high-level scientific inquiry has to decide on that. But this has led to a positive impact on KMF with the whole country talking about Nandini ghee. I thank Mr Naidu for increasing demand for Nandini products,” he said.

“KMF officials have told me that they are considering supplying ghee to TTD if the price and other conditions are right. It will help our farmers and improve our brand value,” the BJP MLA said.

Hyderabad:

The Lord Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati was “purified” Monday amid the row over animal fat – fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (pig fat) – in ghee used to make the laddoos, or devotional offerings, ‘fed’ to the deity and given to devotees.

An army of priests performed a ‘maha shani homam‘ at the temple that is widely seen as one of the holiest sites in Hinduism. Temple officials said the ceremony will “ward off ill-effects of adulteration and restore sanctity of laddoos as ‘prasadam‘, and ensure devotees’ well-being”.

Syamala Rao, the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam – the government trust that runs the temple – said rituals lasted four hours starting 6 am, with special focus on the kitchen that makes the laddoos. He also said the new system of procurement, of ‘pure cow ghee’, had been changed, and this had led to “improved taste of laddoos and other prasadam” from the temple.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu – whose Telugu Desam Party kickstarted the row last week, backed by a July 17 lab report from Gujarat indicating animal fat in ghee samples from the temple kitchen – has ordered a special police team to investigate this matter.

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) organised a Maha Shanti Homam in the wake of Laddu Prasadam row.

Executive officer of Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam (TTD) Shamala Rao and other officials of the Board participated in the Homamam along with the… pic.twitter.com/Gkh7JFeljT

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024

“Many not-so-sacred things were done over the last five years,” he said darkly, declaring non-Hindus would not be allowed on the temple management board.

Apart from the question of animal fat in ghee, Mr Naidu has also accused former TTD Chairperson, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy – an ex MLA with the YSR Congress of former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy – over irregularities connected to temple management.

The temple’s ex EO, Dharma Reddy, a civil servant, was also accused; in April the centre extended Mr Reddy’s deputation from the Indian Defence Estates Service by six weeks.

The Chief Minister has also accused his predecessor, Mr Reddy, of favouritism in appointing senior temple management officials, a charge the YSR Congress leader has denied.

Amid the bitter squabbling and claims and counterclaims, Mr Reddy on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi denouncing Chandrababu Naidu as a “pathological liar” and accused the Chief Minister of hurting the beliefs of crores of people “for political objectives”.

READ | “C Naidu Habitual Liar”: Jagan Reddy Writes To PM Amid Laddoo Row

On the specific claim of animal fat in ghee, Mr Reddy said a tanker containing (the possibly adulterated) ghee had arrived at the temple in July but was rejected. “Robust practices in place for decades (at the) TTD could identify the questionable quality (of the ghee) …” he said.

READ | Suppliers Exploited Lack Of In-House Testing Facility: Tirupati Temple Body

“(at the temple) three samples are tested from every tanker, and only after (all) three pass is the ghee be used… if even one sample is substandard the tanker is rejected…” he explained.

The under-fire ex Chief Minister also red-flagged disclaimers in the lab report, which says the findings may be voided if “the milk fat… is obtained from cows which received an exceptionally high feeding of pure vegetable oils, cotton or palm oils…” and other similar preconditions.

Earlier, Mr Reddy criticised the “false report” and accused Mr Naidu of “using faith for politics”.

Meanwhile, Mr Naidu’s deputy, Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, has set himself a 11-day fast as ‘penance’ and the Bharatiya Janata Party – with whom the TDP and Jana Sena are allied at the centre – has demanded a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry.

READ | Pawan Kalyan To Go On 11-Day ‘Penance’ In Tirupati Laddoo Row

Mr Kalyan began his ‘penance’ on Sunday at a Lord Venkateswara temple in Guntur district.

“If a church or mosque was involved… this would have caused a national uproar. Why are Hindus expected to not raise issues…” the Deputy Chief Minister asked.

The union government has also gotten involved; last week Health Minister JP Nadda has demanded a detailed report and Food Minister Pralhad Joshi said the issue of “desecration” of the Tirupati temple and the Hindu faith will be taken seriously, and “to its logical end”.

READ | Health Ministry Wants Report As Tirupati Laddoo Row Escalates

Also, a PIL, or public interest litigation, has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking a special team to investigate the alleged use of animal fat in the ghee, which, it was argued, violated Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees all Indians right to freedom of religion.

NDTV Explains | How Are Tirupati Laddoos Made? How Are Ingredients Procured?

The temple kitchen makes around three lakh laddoos daily, with around 1,500 kg of ghee and vast amounts of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar used. Reports indicate the ghee was bought from a supplier in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul.

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Bengaluru:

Amid controversy over the use of animal fat in ghee at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, the Karnataka government on Friday issued a directive mandating the use of Nandini brand ghee in all 34,000 temples that come under the state’s temple management body. 

The Karnataka government’s new directive requires that all temples under its jurisdiction use only Nandini ghee, produced by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), for temple rituals, including lighting lamps, preparing ‘prasada’, and in the ‘Dasoha Bhavans’ – places where devotees are served food. The official circular stressed that temple staff must ensure that the quality of ‘prasada’ is never compromised.

“In all the notified temples under the Religious Endowment Department of Karnataka State, it has been directed to use only Nandini Ghee for services, lamps, and preparation of all types of prasada and in Dasoha Bhavan. It has been suggested to maintain the quality in the prasada prepared in the temples,” the circular reads.

This directive comes in the wake of a larger controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in ghee in the preparation of laddoos at the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati, managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The controversy first erupted earlier this week when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu raised concerns over the quality of the ghee used at the temple, claiming that samples had tested positive for lard and other animal fats.

The Tirupati temple kitchen, which produces around 3 lakh laddoos daily, requires enormous quantities of ingredients, including 1,400 kg of ghee, along with other essentials like cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar. The bulk of the ghee in question was reportedly sourced from Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district.

The row quickly escalated as opposition leader Jagan Mohan Reddy found himself under fire. Accusations flew that during his tenure as Chief Minister, the ghee used to make Tirupati laddoos had been substandard, with claims of animal fat being used instead of traditional ghee. Mr Reddy vehemently denied these allegations, accusing the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of exploiting the issue for political gain.

The controversy reached the Supreme Court shortly after, with a petition being filed, claiming that the use of animal fats in temple food violated Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion and practice. The Health Ministry quickly demanded a detailed report on the issue, and Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi called for a thorough inquiry, insisting that “the culprit should be punished.”

As tensions mounted, temple authorities accused their ghee supplier of exploiting the temple’s lack of in-house food testing facilities. They argued that the absence of proper quality control had made the temple vulnerable to such scandals. Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd, which had supplied ghee to the temple in June and July, defended itself, claiming that its product had passed multiple lab tests and constituted a mere 0.01 per cent of the temple’s ghee supply.

The controversy spiralled further when a report from a Gujarat state-run lab surfaced, indicating that samples of the ghee used in the Tirupati temple tested positive for fish oil, beef tallow, and lard – a form of pig fat.

“Even Tirupati laddoo was made with substandard ingredients… they used animal fat instead of ghee,” said Chief Minister Naidu. 

He vowed that his administration had since raised the quality standards for all temple ingredients, and announced that the temple would undergo a thorough sanitisation process. His son, Andhra IT Minister Nara Lokesh, added fuel to the fire by saying that the row had been triggered by an anti-corruption probe into the procurement of ghee and vegetables used for temple food.

In response, the YSRCP, headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy, launched a counterattack, accusing the TDP of a political vendetta. Former TTD Chairperson YV Subba Reddy called the allegations “unimaginable,” and ex-Chairperson Karunakar Reddy claimed the scandal was part of a smear campaign.

Bhubaneswar:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid foundation stones and dedicated four railway projects valued at Rs 2,871 crore in Odisha.

These projects are set to enhance rail connectivity, decongest key routes and contribute to the socio-economic development of the region, the PM said.

Among the projects inaugurated was the 25 km Lanjigarh Road-Ambadola-Doikallu railway section, part of the Vizianagaram-Titilagarh third line project costing Rs 432 crore. This section will improve connectivity between western Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and facilitate smoother freight movement, officials said.

Another project is the 23 km Laxmipur Road-Singaram-Tikiri railway section, part of the Koraput-Singapur road doubling project, which was completed at Rs 260 crore. This section aims to increase train movement capacity in southern Odisha and ease freight movement from resource-rich areas to major markets.

PM Modi also dedicated the 41 km Dhenkanal-Sadashibapur-Hindol Road railway section of the Budhapank-Salegaon third and fourth line project, worth Rs 540 crore. This project will augment capacity on a crucial industrial route, ensuring more efficient transportation of goods.

Additionally, the 12.5 km Bangurkela-Nowgaon railway section of the Bondamunda-Ranchi doubling project, completed at Rs 239 crore, will reduce congestion and improve connectivity between Odisha and Jharkhand, they added.

In addition, PM Modi also laid foundation stones of four railway projects.

These include a 7 km flyover between Siju and Paradeep coaching yard costing Rs 200 crore, which will eliminate surface crossings and ensure smoother train movements at Paradeep Port.

The expansion of the Paradeep-Badabandha third and fourth line, spanning 19 km and costing Rs 300 crore, will boost capacity for both freight and passenger traffic, enhancing connectivity to Paradeep Port, officials said.

The doubling of the MCRL Inner Corridor Phase-1, which will cover 10.93 km and cost Rs 152 crore, is intended to facilitate smooth coal evacuation.

The highly anticipated 41.9 km Jeypore-Nabarangpur New Line, costing Rs 748 crore, will connect the tribal-dominated regions of Jeypore and Nabarangpur, fostering economic growth and improving access to markets and resources.

“This aspirational project will link the tribal-dominated areas of Jeypore and Nabarangpur, providing improved access to markets and services for the region’s people. The new line is expected to play a transformative role in the economic upliftment of the area, promoting employment, trade, and mobility,” the East Coast Railways (ECoR) said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A woman from Andhra Pradesh who went to Kuwait to earn a living has put out a video alleging that she has endured severe physical and mental abuse at the hands of her employer.

In the video, Kavita, who is from Annamayya district, has appealed to Andhra Pradesh Minister Ram Prasad Reddy to “save her” from torture. “Please save me, sir. I am being tortured here. I have two children and a disabled husband. I came to Kuwait for their sake, but I am being subjected to injustice here,” she says.

Kavitha’s situation allegedly worsened as her employer locked her in a room in Kuwait, and denied her food. She claimed she was under house arrest at her workplace and the agent who facilitated her travel had threatened her and blocked her phone, depriving her of any means of communication with family or authorities.

In response to her appeal, Mr Reddy wrote to Union Minister Kondapalli Srinivas, seeking his intervention to ensure Kavitha’s safe return to India. Kavitha’s case highlights the suffering of many migrant workers in the Gulf countries, where they are exploited and abused under the Kafala system that binds their legal status to their local employers.

Vijayawada:

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been putting in all efforts to work for the relief of flood-ravaged people in the state, which also included surveying a swollen rivulet from a railway bridge when a train whizzed by.

Following the unprecedented torrential downpours and floods in Vijayawada, Mr Naidu made multiple visits to the flood-hit places to personally supervise the relief work.

Mr Naidu was assessing the flood situation firsthand from atop a small railway bridge in Vijayawada over a gushing rivulet-like water body on Thursday, accompanied by several officials and NSG commandos.

During that time, a train whizzed by, and the 74-year-old, standing by the bridge’s railing on a narrow platform very close to the moving train, was unperturbed.

Passengers from the speeding train cheered his fieldwork, who had been wading through floodwaters and riding on boats and bulldozers to inspect the relief work.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Amaravati:

At least 17 people in Andhra Pradesh have so far been killed in rain-related incidents and subsequent floods, that have left lakhs of people scampering for daily needs in several districts. The worst affected districts included Vijayawada, NTR, Guntur, Krishna, Eluru, Palnadu, Bapatla, and Prakasam, where thousands of acres of crops have been submerged.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the recent torrential rain and floods in Andhra Pradesh is the “biggest disaster” he has witnessed in the state in his political career.

“We had some events like Hudhud hurricane and Titli cyclone but compared to these, here the human suffering and property loss is the biggest,” he told a press conference on Monday.

How Drones Are Assisting In Andhra Floods

The state government and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have now started dropping food packets, water bottles, and other necessities for people in flood-affected areas via drones.

Earlier, drones were only used to get an aerial view of disaster-hit areas. But now, they have made the job easier, faster, and more efficient, saving fuel for choppers that were used before in relief and rescue operations.

Drones have made reporting stories from flood-hit areas that much more dramatic; aerial visuals from #Mahbubabad district #MaripeduMandal purushottamayyagudem bridge; #drones give more comprehensive view & can help in delivery of essentials #DronesInFloods#ReportingOnFloodspic.twitter.com/RAGREbrgUR

— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) September 2, 2024

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh said the state government has for the first time deployed drones to deliver relief materials and food to flood-affected people.

“This has made relief operations more efficient and quick,” he wrote on X and shared a video of a drone delivering a food packet.

The GoAP, under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri @ncbn Garu, has for the first time ever deployed drones to deliver relief materials and food to our flood-affected people. This has made relief operations more efficient and quick.#APGovtWithFloodVictims… pic.twitter.com/AfwuFKg4J8

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) September 2, 2024

Mr Naidu said eight to nine drones were used to deliver food packets — which also included biscuits, fruits, milk, and medicines — to 10,000 people on Monday and assured that up to 35 more drones would be deployed on Tuesday.

In some cases, drones were also used to drop life jackets to people stranded in flooded areas. A boy was able to come out of a flood area because of that life jacket in the Khammam district.

Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) will organise a ‘Science Fair and Exhibition on Wheels’ at the Department of Physics, Andhra Loyola College (ALC) on August 29 (Thursday). The event, being organised by SHAR, the primary spaceport of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and located in Sriharikota, will showcase models of rockets, including GSLV and PSLV, and cutting-edge satellite technologies.

A statement on August 28 (Wednesday) said the objective was to educate and inspire students and the general public by showcasing the remarkable achievements of ISRO. Scheduled from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., the event display will include the “Space on Wheels” ISRO Bus and video presentations on India’s iconic space missions, including Mangalyaan, Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan.

ALC principal G.A.P. Kishore, Head of the Department of Physics P. Srinivasa Shastri, programme coordinator D.V. Satish and others released a poster of the event at a function held on the college campus on Wednesday.

Hyderabad:

Four factory workers – migrants from Jharkhand – were injured in a fire at a chemical manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district early Friday.

The fire was at the premises of Synergene Active Ingredients Private Limited located in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City, a 2,429-acre industrial park home to companies producing chemicals and pharma products.

The fire was reportedly the result of certain chemicals and liquids mixing to produce a vapour that was ignited by static electricity. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has inquired about the accident.

This is the second such tragic incident in the state in less than 48 hours.

On Wednesday 17 people were killed and 41 injured after an explosion – likely the result of an electrical fault – at a pharma unit in the district’s Achutapuram Special Economic Zone.

READ | 17 Dead, 41 Injured In Explosion At Andhra Pharma Company

On Thursday the Chief Minister met the families of those who were killed, and those who had been injured, and told NDTV of the importance of ensuring workplace safety – particularly in ‘red category’ industries, or those that deal with hazardous materials and have a pollution index over 60.

READ | Chandrababu Naidu Stresses Workplace Safety After Pharma Blast

Outlining his plan of action, to deal with the aftermath of the Achutapuram SEZ tragedy and prevent future such events, Mr Naidu said he would set up a commission that, he said, would examine “all details, omissions, and lapses…”

The Andhra Pradesh government had announced Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of those who died and Rs 50 lakh for those with serious injuries. Those with minor injuries will get Rs 25 lakh.

Mr Naidu also launched a political attack on the previous state government – led by YSR Congress Party boss Jagan Mohan Reddy, whom he defeated in the election this year.

The earlier government, he indicated, faced its share of industrial disasters – leading to 120 deaths in the previous five years – but failed to act on a commission’s recommendations.

“The previous government set up a commission… but no action was taken. Now I have to fix accountability and sensitise industries, especially in ‘red category’, to take precautions.”

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Visakhapatnam:

Three children died at an orphanage in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district on Monday due to suspected food poisoning.

As many as 27 inmates were taken ill after eating ‘samosas’ on Sunday at the orphanage in Kailasa town under Kotauratla Mandal. Three of them died on Monday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Anakapalli.

The children have been identified as Joshua, a first-grade student, and Bhavani and Shraddha, both in third grade. The remaining 24 are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Narsipatnam and Anakapalli.

Seven of them were admitted to the Narsipatnam Area Hospital while 17 were shifted to the Anakapalle Area Hospital. Sources said the condition of four children were reported to be critical following which they were shifted to the King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam for further treatment.

The orphanage is run by an NGO. It has 60 children studying in a local government school.

Anakapalli District Collector K. Vijaya has ordered an investigation into the incident, besides directing the concerned officials to ensure that the affected students get best possible medical treatment.

District Education Officer Appa Rao has taken up the investigation into the incident. The officials suspect that necessary precautions were not taken in the preparation of food, which resulted in the tragedy.

Meanwhile, Minister for Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh has expressed shock over the incident. He also spoke to Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar and the District Collectors of Anakapalli and Alluri Seetharamaraju about the incident.

The Minister posted on X that he was deeply moved by the death of the students after eating contaminated food in the orphanage in Kailasa town.

“The authorities have been ordered to provide better treatment to the students who have been admitted to hospitals. I request the authorities to act vigilantly so that such incidents do not take place in the future,” Lokesh said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)