Amidst the controversy surrounding the Tirupati laddu, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused the current Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, of attempting to tarnish the reputation of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jagan alleges that Naidu is spreading false information about adulterated prasad for purely political gain.
Jagan’s letter states, “…Attempts are being made by CM Chandrababu Naidu to irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity and reputation of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams…” He further claims that Naidu, a “pathological and habitual liar,” is deliberately hurting the beliefs of millions of people for political advantage. Jagan calls for Naidu to be reprimanded for spreading lies and restoring faith in the sanctity of the TTD.
The former Chief Minister criticizes the TDP government’s performance, stating that they have failed to fulfill their electoral promises and are resorting to rumors about prasad tampering to divert attention from their failures.
Addressing the allegations of adulterated ghee, Jagan highlights that during the TDP’s tenure (2015-2018), the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) did not supply ghee to TTD. Instead, private companies, selected through a transparent bidding process, supplied the ghee. He emphasizes that even during the YSRCP government’s term, KMF supplied ghee at times. Therefore, he argues that the TDP’s allegations are baseless.
Jagan further clarifies that a ghee tanker that arrived in Tirumala on July 12, 2024, failed quality tests and was rejected. The samples were also sent to the NDDB CALF laboratory on July 17, 2024, and the analysis confirmed the adulteration. The rejected ghee was not allowed to enter the TTD premises. Jagan emphasizes that the allegations are baseless and the TTD took prompt action to ensure the quality of its prasad.
