New Delhi:

Religion and politics cannot be allowed to mix, the Supreme Court said Monday while hearing three petitions over allegations that animal fat was found in the ghee used to make the laddoos, or devotional offerings, ‘fed’ to the deity and given to devotees at Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati temple.

In a series of pointed questions and sharp observations, the top court underlined the lack of definitive proof of contamination of ghee or, if it was indeed contaminated, that the affected ghee was used to make the laddoos. The court also pointed to an ongoing inquiry and a “false positive” testing caveat.

The court took a dim view of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s public statements on this contentious issue, particularly as his administration had already ordered an inquiry into the findings of a Gujarat lab July’s report claiming fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (pig fat) were found in the ghee.

“When you (the Chief Minister) hold a Constitutional post… we expect Gods to be kept away from politics. If you had already ordered (an) investigation, what was the need to go to the press? The lab report came in July… your statement came in September. (And) the report is not at all clear…”

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan was distinctly unhappy with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s September 20 comments, in which he hit out at his rival and predecessor, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, over the alleged presence of animal fats in Tirupati laddoo ghee.

The matter was then directed for Thursday afternoon, with the court warning the Chief Minister against a ‘hat-trick’ of unnecessary comments. “There should be restraint…” he was told.

READ | Andhra Government Cites Lab Report In Row Over Animal Fat

Mr Naidu’s comments were soon echoed by members of his Telugu Desam Party and allies Jana Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, triggering a massive political row in the southern state. The Chief Minister also proclaimed, and carried out, a ‘purification’ ceremony for the famous temple.

READ | Tirupati Temple ‘Purified’ Amid Row Over Animal Fat In Ghee

Responding to the allegations and attacks, Mr Reddy and his YSR Congress Party have slammed the “malicious” claims and accused the TDP of lying for political gain. The party also said it was Mr Naidu, in fact, who had damaged the temple’s sanctity by making outrageous comments. Mr Reddy later even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused Mr Naidu of being a “pathological liar”.

The row was dragged to the Supreme Court after petitions were filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy. Mr Reddy also served as Chair of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which is the state-run trust that manages the Tirupati temple.

READ | Health Ministry Wants Report As Tirupati Laddoo Row Escalates

Mr Swamy’s petition requests the court to direct the Andhra government to file a detailed forensic report, while Mr Reddy’s asks for an independent special investigation team to probe the charges.

In this, the first day of hearing these petitions, the court came down sharply on the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, noting “You ordered a special investigation. Till the outcome… what was the need to go to the press? You have been always appearing for such… this is the second time…”

The irked top court also pointed out it has not yet been established if the ghee – about which complaints over quality had been received – was, in fact, used to make the laddoos.

Told the investigation into the quality of the ghee is ongoing, Justice Gavai shot back again, “(Then) what was the need to go to the press immediately? You need to respect religious sentiments.”

“Where is proof this was the ghee used to prepare the laddoos?” the court asked, pointing out that tankers delivered on July 6 and 12 were tested and, according to the temple management, never used.

The lab referred to samples from these tankers and not deliveries in June which were used till July 4.

The court also made public a disclaimer in the report prepared by the Centre of Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food lab at the National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat.

Urging senior advocate Siddhartha Luthra, appearing for the TDP, to read it aloud, the court said, “Public (may) not be aware of this… you (the Chief Minister) only gave a statement…”

Mr Luthra then read out, “A false positive can be obtained…method is not applicable to…” and Justice Vishwanathan then said, “Does not prudence dictate you take a second opinion (before going public)? Normally we take a second opinion… no proof that said ghee was used.”

NDTV Explains | How The Laddoos Made And How Ingredients Are Procured

The kitchen at Tirupati 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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New Delhi:

After roiling the political arena for over a week, the row over animal fat allegedly being used to make the famed Tirupati laddoos will now be heard by the Supreme Court on Monday.

The petitions have been filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman YV Subba Reddy, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the YSR Congress Party.

The party has been the focal point of attacks since Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed last week that animal fat was used to make the sought-after laddoos given as ‘prasad’ by the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati under the previous YSR Congress government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Both Mr Swamy and YV Subba Reddy have requested a court-monitored probe into the allegations and their petitions will be heard by a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan. 

In his Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed earlier this week, the BJP leader requested the Supreme Court to direct the Andhra Pradesh government to file a detailed report on the ghee used for making the laddoos, and also sought a detailed forensic report. The state government had cited a report by a laboratory in Gujarat to claim that the ghee used in the laddoos contained traces of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat). 

“There ought to have been checks and balances internally to supervise and verify and check the quality or the lack of it, of the suppliers supplying various ingredients to the temple which go into the making of the prasad,” the petition said. 

YV Subba Reddy also filed a PIL seeking an independent special investigation team (SIT) monitored by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe Mr Naidu’s allegations. Mr Reddy, who has been at the forefront of his party’s defence against the Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s claims, has repeatedly said that no adulterated ghee was used in the making of the laddoos.

Row Escalates

On Friday, Mr Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy faced off over the cancellation of the YSR Congress Party chief’s planned visit to the Tirupati Temple.

Mr Reddy was supposed to visit the temple on Saturday to atone for Mr Naidu’s “sin” of making the adulteration allegations but said on Friday afternoon that he had decided to cancel because he had been denied permission and a notice to that effect had been served to him. The decision came amid Mr Naidu’s TDP and the BJP demanding that the former chief minister sign a declaration meant for non-Hindus before visiting the temple.

The parties have said that according to the rules of the TTD,  which manages the Tirumala Tirupati temple, foreigners and non-Hindus should declare their reverence for Lord Venkateswara, to whom the shrine is dedicated, before praying there.

Claiming that the laddoo row was engineered to divert attention from the performance of Mr Naidu’s government in its first 100 days, Mr Reddy said, “All the statements made by him (Mr Naidu) on the laddoos are proving to be a lie one after another. He has made a mistake and violated the sanctity of the temple. I have visited the Tirumala temple several times and he is now bringing up the declaration issue to divert the topic once again… The Tirumala laddoo is special and pure, and with a political motive he has said that it was made with animal fat.” 

Retorting sharply, Mr Naidu accused Mr Reddy of “spreading lies” and said no notice had been given to him. “Did anyone stop you (Mr Reddy) from going? Show the notice to the media if you have it… Why are you spreading lies?” he said.

A misunderstanding between Tamil Actor Karthi and actor-politician Pawan Kalyan over a comment on the alleged adulteration of Tirupati laddoos has now come to a close. Mr Kalyan, who is the Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister and chief of the Jana Sena, has accepted Mr Karthi’s apology and wished him luck for his upcoming film, and the actor and his brother Suriya Sivakumar have thanked him. 

On Monday, Mr Karthi was attending an event in Hyderabad when he was asked to react to a few memes, including one on laddoos. With the controversy surrounding Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s allegation that animal fat had been used to make the famed Tirupati laddoos under the previous YSR Congress party government in the state still raging, Mr Karthi had said laddoos should not be discussed now because it is a sensitive topic.

Mr Kalyan, who is allied with Mr Naidu’s TDP as part of the NDA alliance in the state and at the Centre and is undertaking a ‘Prayaschitta Diksha’ (penance for atonement) over the adulteration, had taken offence to the actor’s remark.

“People are joking about the laddoo. I saw that in a film function, you said laddoo is a sensitive issue. Don’t you ever say that. Don’t you ever dare say that. I respect you as actors but when it comes to Sanatana Dharma, you have to think a hundred times before making any comment,” the deputy chief minister had said.

Mr Karthi had apologised to Mr Kalyan in a post on X on Tuesday and said that as a devotee of Lord Venkateswara – the deity to which the Tirupati temple is dedicated – he holds traditions dear. 

Dear @PawanKalyan sir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards.

— Karthi (@Karthi_Offl) September 24, 2024

Mr Kalyan responded the same day, appreciating Mr Kathi’s gesture and wishing him luck for his upcoming film ‘Meiyazhagan’. The Jana Sena chief also wished good luck to Mr Karthi’s brother, Suriya Sivakumar, who is the producer of the movie. 

“Dear @Karthi_Offl garu, I sincerely appreciate your kind gesture and swift response, as well as the respect you’ve shown towards our shared traditions. Matters concerning our sacred institutions, like Tirupati and its revered laddus, carry deep emotional weight for millions of devotees, and it’s essential for all of us to handle such topics with care,” the Andhra deputy chief minister wrote on X. 

Stating that their responsibility as public figures is to foster unity and respect, he added, “I would also like to express my admiration for you as a remarkable actor whose dedication and talent have consistently enriched our cinema.”

Thank you for your hearty wishes dear sir!

— Karthi (@Karthi_Offl) September 24, 2024

Mr Karthi responded with a “thank you for your hearty wishes”, as did Mr Sivakumar. 

Mr Kalyan is, however, still locked in a spat with actor Prakash Raj over the laddoo controversy. While Mr Raj has asked the actor-politician not to stoke communal tension, Mr Kalyan has hit out at the actor for questioning his secular credentials.

The simmering feud between Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and actor Prakash Raj over the alleged adulteration of the famed Tirupati laddoos has gone on the boil again. 

Actor-politician Kalyan, who is the chief of the Jana Sena and part of the ruling coalition in Andhra Pradesh as well as the Centre, had spoken out about the traces of animal fat in the form of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat) allegedly found in the ghee used for the laddoos under the previous state government headed by YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy. The allegation was originally made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. 

Reacting to Mr Kalyan’s comments, actor Prakash Raj had said that the politician is part of the ruling dispensation in the state and should focus on investigating the matter rather than stoking communal tensions. 

On Tuesday, Mr Kalyan went to the Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada to perform a purification ritual as part of his 11-day ‘Prayaschitta Diksha’ (penance for atonement) over the adulteration and hit out at Mr Raj for questioning his secular credentials.

“I am addressing the sanctity of Hinduism and issues like food adulteration. Why should I not speak about these matters? I respect you Prakash Raj, and when it comes to secularism, it must be mutual. I do not understand why you are criticising me. Should I not speak out against attacks on Sanatana Dharma? Prakash should learn a lesson,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.  

“The film industry and others should not make light of this issue; I am very serious about Sanatana Dharma. Many critics have targeted Ayyappa and Goddess Saraswati. Sanatana Dharma is of utmost importance. Every Hindu should take responsibility in this regard. If similar issues arose in other religions, there would be a widespread agitation,” he added.

Mr Raj posted a video on X, saying that he had been misinterpreted and would reply to Mr Kalyan’s questions when he returned to India after a shoot. 

“Dear Pawan Kalyan garu, I saw your press meet. What I have said and what you have misinterpreted is surprising. I am shooting abroad; I will come back to reply your questions. Meanwhile, I would appreciate if you could go through my tweet earlier and understand,” he wrote with the video. 

Point, Counterpoint

On September 20, Mr Kalyan had said on X that many questions needed to be answered by the board of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) – the trust that manages the Tirupati temple – constituted by the YSR Congress government. 

“We are all deeply disturbed with the findings of animal fat (fish oil,pork fat and beef fat) mixed in Tirupathi Balaji Prasad. Many questions to be answered by the TTD board constituted by YCP Govt then… May be the time has come to constitute a  ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ at a National level to look into all the issues related to temples in the entire Bharath… I think we all should come together to put an end to desecration of ‘Sanathana Dharma’ in any form,” he had posted on X.

Responding to the post, Mr Raj had advised Mr Kalyan to avoid “spreading apprehensions”.

“Dear @PawanKalyan…It has happened in a state where you are a DCM (deputy chief minister).. Please Investigate ..Find out the Culprits and take stringent action.  Why are you spreading apprehensions and blowing up the issue Nationally … We have enough Communal tensions in the Country,” he wrote. 

(With inputs from ANI)

Mathura:

The Food Safety and Drug Administration department in Mathura on Monday collected 43 samples of food items from 15 shops near religious sites in Mathura, Vrindavan and other places, officials said, and sent a ‘peda’ sample to Lucknow for testing.

FSDA Assistant Commissioner Dhirendra Pratap Singh said in the sampling campaign conducted at many places in Mathura and Vrindavan on Monday, 43 samples were collected from 15 vendors. These include sweets and other items made from milk, ‘paneer’, ‘peda’, ‘barfi’, milk cake, ‘rasgulla’, ‘imarti’, ‘sonpapdi’, other sweets and spices.

He said 42 of them were found to be within the standard but one sample of ‘peda’ was sent to Lucknow for testing.

Dhirendra Pratap Singh said all the samples were collected on Sunday and Monday from the shops around the temples.

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

Mainpuri:

Amid controversy over “adulteration” in Tirupati laddus, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav has alleged that shops in Mathura are selling adulterated ‘khoya’ and demanded an inquiry.

Talking to reporters during an event here on Sunday, Yadav said adulteration in Tirupati Laddu prasad is a “very serious” matter and it has hurt the religious sentiments of people.

“Due to the failure of the food department, adulterated food and oil are causing very serious illness to people. Food department is negligent and silent over it,” she said.

“There are reports that ‘khoya’ being sold in Mathura is also adulterated. The BJP government should institute enquiry in both the cases,” she said without mentioning the source of the reports.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has collected 13 samples of ‘prasadam’ from prominent temples in Mathura for testing.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in the southern state has triggered a massive political row.

The YSR Congress Party has accused Naidu of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains and the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the state circulating a laboratory report to back its claim.

Terming “One Nation One Election” as farce, she said BJP is “killing” democracy. Elections are being held in Haryana while by-elections in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have not been announced yet.

“All these elections could have been done altogether,” she said, adding that BJP never implemented what it said but went ahead with whatever suits them.

Attacking the government over rising unemployment, she said false claims of investments in lakhs of crores of rupees are being made but nothing is visible on ground.

“To solve this issue, infrastructure is most important so that small, medium and big industries could be set up but nothing has been done,” she alleged.

Regarding use of bulldozers, Yadav said the Supreme Court has given serious guidelines and such use of bulldozers is “unlawful and a crime”.

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

Hyderabad:

Amid the massive row over allegations that animal fat was used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the incumbent Chief Minister N Chandrababu a “pathological liar” and accusing him hurting the beliefs of crores of people “purely for political objectives”.

The YSR Congress Party chief has said the entire country is looking at the Prime Minister and it is imperative that Mr Naidu “be reprimanded in (the) severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies”. He has demanded that the “truth be brought to light” to allay the suspicions in the minds of crores of Hindu devotees.

Mr Naidu’s TDP swept the Andhra polls this year and paved the way for Mr Reddy’s exit as Chief Minister. TDP is also a key ally of the BJP at the Centre and its support is critical to NDA’s majority in Lok Sabha after the BJP suffered a setback in this general election.

Mr Reddy has accused Mr Naidu of trying to “irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity and reputation of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams” and warned that this could have far-reaching consequences.

The YSRCP chief claimed that the people’s perception of the new government is “quite negative” and the Tirupati row was aimed at diverting attention from its failures.

Addressing an NDA legislative party meeting Wednesday, Mr Naidu said animal fat was used to make the sought-after laddoos given as ‘prasad’ by the Sri Venkateswara Temple under the Jagan Reddy government.  

Mr Reddy said the tanker containing the possibly adulterated ghee arrived at Tirupati on July 12, but was rejected and not used to prepare prasadams. “The robust practices in place for decades in TTD could identify the questionable quality and therefore the ghee was not used. Despite this comforting scenario, Mr. Naidu chose to callously make a remark that Tirumala Laddus were made with animal fats and not with ghee,” he wrote.

The former Chief Minister stressed the robustness of the policies and procedures of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the temple. Explaining the checks to ensure the ghee’s quality, he said every tanker that reaches the temple should have certification on the purity of ghee from agencies accredited by NABL — National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

“Further at the temple, three samples are obtained from every tanker and the same are tested and only after the three samples pass the test would the ghee be allowed to be put to use. If it so happens that if even one of the samples turns out to be substandard, the tanker is rejected and is not allowed to pass. Therefore, the question of sub-standard material being used in the preparation of prasadams does not arise,” Mr Reddy said. He added that this process has been in force for several decades and there have been several instances when tankers were rejected.

“A responsible Chief Minister should, in fact, attempt to bring to the attention of the public the robustness of the checks and balances in place to give them comfort as to sanctity of the functioning of the TTD. The way in which Mr Naidu acted was in a manner totally devoid of social responsibility,” he said.

The alleged report, Mr Reddy said, contains some very serious disclaimers. “The report conveys that the finding would not be applicable if the milk fat belongs to various categories that are listed out in the annexure. The categories include scenarios such as milk fat being obtained from cows which received an exceptionally high feeding of pure vegetable oils, cotton or palm oils, milk fat obtained from cows that are suffering from energy deficiency, milk fat obtained from cheeses. showing increased lipolysis and so forth. Therefore, if any of the above scenarios exist, then the methodology adopted would yield an incorrect or false positive result.”

The YSRCP leader said Mr Naidu had, in “total disregard to strong religious sentiments and with the malafide intent to spread lies”, brought the issue to light in a political party meeting on September 18, more than two months after the tanker was rejected. “The inaction of Mr. Naidu for the period of two months conveys that he did not believe that the ghee was adulterated physically with animal fats and that the finding of questionable quality was made in the process of routine checks as per the protocol.”

“Sir, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu a pathological and habitual liar has stooped so low as to seriously hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives. His actions have indeed lowered not only the stature of a Chief Minister but also that of everyone in public life and also the sanctity of the world renowned TTD and its practices. Sir, the entire Country looks to you at this crucial juncture. It is very imperative that Mr. Naidu be reprimanded in severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies and the truth be brought to light,” he wrote.

“Sir, this would help allay the suspicions that Mr. Naidu has created in the minds of crores of hindu devotees and restore their faith in the sanctity of the TTD,” Mr Reddy added.

Bengaluru:

Karnataka Milk Federation has installed a geo-positioning system on its vehicles that supply ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Tirupati temple, following a row over substandard ‘ghee’ used in Tirupati laddus, a top official said on Saturday.

KMF managing director M K Jagadish said the Nandini Ghee supply was restored after the TTD awarded a tender to KMF a month ago.

Nandini is the popular brand of the Karnataka Milk Federation.

“We restored the supply of ghee (to TTD) a month ago. We have installed GPS and Geo Location Devices on the vehicles to find where they stop. This is to ensure that nowhere adulteration happens,” Jagadish told PTI.

He said the KMF got the contract to supply 350 tonnes of ghee.

“We will supply ghee as and when required,” he added.

Citing a lab report on Friday, the TTD stated that there was the presence of ‘lard’ (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee.

TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said lab tests have revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples and the board was in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied ‘adulterated’ ghee.

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

New Delhi:

In January, during the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, 300 kilograms of ‘prasad’ from the Tirupati temple was distributed to devotees, confirmed Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the temple. This revelation comes in the wake of a controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in ghee in the preparation of laddoos at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

“If animal fat was mixed in the ‘prasad’, it is unforgivable. Strict action should be taken against those responsible,” Mr Das said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

The TTD revealed that the lab report confirmed the presence of lard and other impurities in ghee used by a contractor. An official stated that the contractor responsible for supplying adulterated ghee had been blacklisted and legal proceedings were initiated.

The row began when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu first raised concerns about the quality of the ‘prasad’, alleging that animal fat was used during the tenure of the previous YSRCP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Mr Naidu accused the YSRCP regime of purchasing substandard ghee at cheaper rates, which compromised the sacredness of the Tirupati laddoos.

In response, former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy dismissed these allegations as “diversion politics” and a “concocted story” aimed at shifting focus from the current government’s failures.

The issue intensified after lab reports, commissioned by the TDP, backed Mr Naidu’s claims. According to these reports, the ghee samples tested showed traces of animal fats, including beef tallow, lard, and fish oil. The temple management confirmed that four separate tests revealed similar results, prompting immediate action to halt supplies from the blacklisted contractor.

Mr Naidu, in a public address, announced that new suppliers of pure cow ghee, including the Nandini brand from Karnataka, have been engaged to restore the sacredness of the laddoos. The former chief priest of the Tirupati temple, Ramana Deekshitulu, also expressed concerns over the issue, stating that he had previously raised the matter with the TTD management to no avail.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi have both called for investigations and have sought reports from the Andhra Pradesh government. The TTD has assured devotees that the purity of the laddoos has now been restored, and steps have been taken to ensure that only the highest quality ingredients are used going forward.

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.