Tirupati Laddu Row: Political uproar over forgiveness ritual, YSRCP claims- Police is detaining leaders on CM's orders.

The matter of animal fat being found in the prasad of Tirupati temple is continuously growing. Recently, Yuvajana Shramik Raithu Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced that he would participate in the puja on September 28. After his announcement, there is a continuous political uproar. YSRCP claims that on the instructions of the state government, the police are warning the leaders of their party not to participate in the program.

'Biased and discriminatory attitude'

Yuvajana Shramik Raithu Congress Party said, 'Andhra Pradesh Police is taking action on the instructions of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh. Notices are being issued to YSRCP leaders before Jagan Mohan Reddy visits Tirupati. They are being warned not to participate in the program. Many leaders of the region are already receiving these warnings and many are being kept under house arrest by the police. This heavy-handed action shows the biased and discriminatory behavior towards YSRCP leaders in the state and shows the excessively harsh attitude of the police under political influence.'

Jagan had called for forgiveness rituals in temples for the sins of CM.

YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday called upon the people to participate in worship in temples in Andhra Pradesh on September 28. He had said that this forgiveness ritual is necessary to atone for the sins allegedly committed by Chief Minister Naidu by accusing Tirupati laddus.

Reddy's appeal came at a time when just a few days ago Naidu had alleged in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Legislature Party meeting that the previous YSRCP government did not spare even the Sri Venkateswara Temple and used substandard material and animal fat to make laddus.

What is the whole controversy of fat in Tirupati temple's laddus?

Two days ago, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had claimed, citing a lab report, that animal fat is mixed in the pure ghee used in the temple's prasadam. Poor quality material has been used in making Lord Tirupati's prasadam. Animal fat was used instead of ghee in the laddus. This adulteration happened due to the ghee contract given by the previous government. The CM had said that no person involved in this corruption would be spared. Action has also been taken against many people by the government in this matter.

At the same time, a statement was also issued by the temple committee Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam on this entire matter. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Temple Executive Officer Shyamala Rao also admitted that the sanctity of the temple has been violated. The previous government had not taken any steps to investigate the adulteration. Rao had said that, when I took over as the Executive Officer of TTD, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had expressed concern over the quality of the ghee and laddus purchased.

Rao had said, he wanted me to take strict measures to ensure this. We have started working on the matter. Then we found that we do not have any internal laboratory to check the adulteration in ghee. There is no system to check the quality of ghee in external laboratories as well. Apart from this, the price of pure ghee used to offer to the Lord was kept at Rs 320. Which was creating suspicion. The price of pure ghee should have been at least Rs 500 per kg.

How was it revealed?

There was a change of power in Andhra in June. After which Chandrababu Naidu's party has returned to power. After assuming the post of Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu had expressed apprehension of adulteration in the temple laddus. After this, the temple administration took samples of the supplied ghee and sent them to the Gujarat Dairy Development Board (NDDB) lab 'Center of Analysis and Learning in Live Stock and Food' (CALF) for testing. After which the lab report revealed shocking things.

The NDDB lab report showed that the amount of pure milk fat in pure ghee should have been between 95.68 to 104.32. However, the milk fat value in the samples was found to be only 20. Which revealed this adulterated ghee. After this, a big controversy arose. According to the lab report, elements like soybean, sunflower, olive oil, wheat, maize, cotton seed, fish oil, coconut, palm oil, beef tallow, and lard have been found in these samples. This ghee was supplied by a Chennai-based company named AR Dairy and Agro Products.

The company has been banned by the government. However, the company clarified this matter and said that the ghee we had sent in June-July. Its sample test was collected by FSSAI and Agmark. Our sample was also passed in TTD's lab. There is no adulteration of any kind in my ghee.