Yuvajana Sramika Raithu Congress Party (YSRCP) chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has attacked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over allegations of adulteration of ghee in Tirumala. He said on Friday that the CM is trying to divert people’s attention from his 100-day rule. Jagan said Naidu is a person who can even use God for political gains. “This is the politics of diversion. On one hand, people are expressing their anger over Chandrababu Naidu’s 100-day rule. They are asking what happened to his super six (election promises). This fabricated story is being created to divert people’s attention,” he said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the allegations of adulteration in ghee are very serious. He asked whether it is right to play with the sentiments of crores of devotees across the world. Jagan said that the samples, tests and results mentioned in the laboratory test report as evidence came out only during the NDA government. He said that selecting the ghee supplier every 6 months is a regular process of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) which has been going on for decades. There is nothing new in this.
What is Chandrababu Naidu’s claim
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu made a serious allegation during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Legislature Party meeting on September 18. He said the previous YSRCP government did not even spare the Sri Venkateswara temple and used substandard material and animal fat to make laddus. Naidu said people are saying their sentiments are hurt due to the alleged adulteration of ghee used in laddus (sacred offerings to Lord Balaji in Tirupati) during the previous government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He alleged that the previous government affected the quality of laddus by purchasing substandard ghee at cheap prices and violated the sanctity of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
What came out in the investigation report
The TTD manages the popular Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati. The temple is visited by lakhs of devotees throughout the year. On Friday, the TTD, citing a laboratory report, said the presence of animal fat and lard (pig fat) was detected in the ghee. TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said that laboratory tests revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in selected samples. The board is in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied the adulterated ghee.
