Naidu seeks report on Tirupati laddus; don't politicise: Jagan

VIJAYAWADA/TIRUPATI: The TDP-led govt in Andhra Pradesh on Friday sought a detailed report from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on the alleged use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of laddu prasadam at Tirumala temple even as a full-scale war of words broke out between chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on this sensitive religious issue.

Attacking Reddy at a public meeting in Prakasam district, Naidu said: "People are saying their sentiments were hurt (following allegations of presence of animal fat in Tirupati laddus). When the sentiments were hurt, should I spare them (culprits) when unpardonable mistakes were committed?"

Jagan: Why did Naidu stay mum on laddus for 2 months?
Breaking his silence on the controversy, Reddy accused the TDP chief of using the "faith of millions of devotees across the world to cover up the failures of his govt in the last 100 days". Reddy said Naidu was levelling accusation on basis of test reports of raw material stocks that were rejected and added he would write to the CJI and PM Modi to seek a high-level probe into the allegations.

At a high-level meeting at the secretariat to discuss the quality issues, Naidu directed TTD executive officer (EO) J Shyamala Rao to submit a comprehensive report by the evening on the alleged use of impure materials in laddu preparation at Tirupati during the previous regime. He announced after the meeting that measures to preserve the sanctity of Tirumala would be taken after consultations with TTD's Agama, Vedic and Dharmic councils, which deal with the temple's architecture, rituals and religious issues, respectively.

Denying charges against his govt, Reddy said the samples of the "so-called adulterated stock" were taken on July 12 and the test report was received on July 23. "Naidu was at the helm on July 12 and the report was received nearly two months ago. Why did he stay silent for two months and is now talking about it after his govt completed 100 days?" Jagan said.

However, Naidu said the contractor that was supplying ghee for making prasadam in July this year had been supplying it for the last five years. He said there were reports of the quality of prasadam deteriorating in the last five years and the supplier was blacklisted after test reports in July confirmed adulteration.

Reddy said rejection of stocks is very common whenever a particular lot failed the tests. "Once a stock is rejected, it is not used in making prasadams. How can Naidu make such grave allegations that adulterated stock was used in the making of the prasadams?" He said TTD has been procuring stocks through open tenders called through an online system for several decades.

In Tirumala, TTD EO said the temple trust will henceforth adopt a zero-tolerance policy against substandard raw material. He said following a spike in complaints , Naidu had directed him to initiate measures to 'revive' their quality, taste, texture and aroma. "After CM's instructions, a committee with scientists and dairy farming experts was constituted and based on their recommendations, we began our investigation ," Rao said. "After the lab reports confirmed the presence of fish oil, lard (pig fat), palm oil and beef tallow in four ghee samples, we initiated measures to blacklist the contractor and returned his stocks. Penal and legal proceedings have also been initiated ," the EO said.