Laddu row triggers fresh political clash in state
Vijayawada: The Tirumala laddu ghee adulteration controversy has once again ignited a political storm in the state, deepening the rift between the ruling TDP-Jana Sena alliance and the opposition YSRCP.
The fresh flashpoint is a letter submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the state government, outlining preliminary findings in the ghee adulteration probe. The communication, sent on Friday, has become central to the escalating political battle.
The issue was also discussed in a recent Cabinet meeting, where Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and senior ministers reportedly criticised the YSRCP for claiming that the SIT had found no evidence of animal fat in the ghee supplied to Tirumala.
According to sources, the SIT has pointed out multiple violations in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administration between 2019 and 2024, particularly in the procurement of ghee for Laddu prasadam.
The preliminary report reportedly indicates that substandard ghee was supplied during this period and that adulteration had occurred. Investigators are said to have flagged weak monitoring systems and lapses in quality testing.
The SIT has also recommended stricter regulations and enhanced quality control measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The CBI led SIT filed final chargesheet before a court in Nellore last week, detailing the findings of multiple scientific tests conducted on the disputed samples.
Officials said the Chief Minister’s Office is examining the report in detail and will issue an official response only after a thorough review. The government has expressed strong anger over what it calls a “misleading social media campaign” by YSRCP leaders and supporters, who claim that the SIT has given a clean chit.
Ministers said such claims are distorting facts and hurting the sentiments of devotees. The government has indicated that legal action may be initiated against those spreading false information.
TTD chairman BR Naidu in a press conference alleged that contracts for supplying 60 lakh kg of ghee were given to an incompetent dairy, leading to corruption worth Rs 250 crore.
Former YSRCP minister Ambati Rambabu rejected the allegations of TDP and Jana Sena. He cited a report by ICAR-NDRI, which stated that no animal fat was detected in the samples. Rambabu said that only low-quality vanaspati may have been used and accused the ruling parties of politicising a religious issue. “Is it right to do politics in the name of God?” he said.
As both sides harden their stand, the laddu controversy continues to dominate Andhra Pradesh’s political landscape, with the final impact now hinging on the SIT’s complete findings and the government’s next move.
