Tirumala laddu ghee row set for stormy debate in Legislature

Vijayawada: The politically sensitive Tirumala laddu adulterated ghee controversy is set to come up for a full-fledged discussion in state Legislature this week, with the state government announcing that the issue will be debated in the Assembly on Tuesday and in the Legislative Council on Thursday.

The issue has repeatedly disrupted the session that began on the 11th of this month. With the YSRCP having significant strength in the Council, adjournment motions over the laddu controversy have stalled proceedings almost every day. The controversy has escalated into a direct political confrontation between the ruling NDA coalition led by TDP and the opposition YSRCP. While the TDP, along with its NDA allies, initially targeted the previous YSRCP regime over the alleged adulteration of ghee used in the preparation of Tirumala laddu prasadam, the YSRCP in recent days has turned the attack towards Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his family-promoted company, Heritage Foods.

Chandrababu Naidu has maintained that he spoke on the issue only after receiving a report from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which, according to him, confirmed adulteration in the ghee supplied for Tirumala laddu preparation. He said laboratory reports revealed the presence of animal fat and that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe established that the substance supplied was chemically manufactured and not genuine ghee. Based on the SIT findings, the government constituted a one-man committee to determine administrative responsibility. A petition filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the move was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Monday.

Naidu alleged that instead of accepting responsibility, the YSRCP was attempting to divert the issue and resort to character assassination. He accused YSRCP MLCs of making baseless allegations against Heritage Foods to shield irregularities that allegedly occurred during the previous regime in the supply of ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). He asserted that those responsible for the adulteration would be brought before the law and that the matter involved large-scale irregularities.

On the other hand, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Botcha Satyanarayana alleged that the Chief Minister was linked to the scam involving Indapur Dairy and that efforts were made to benefit Heritage Foods through TTD ghee contracts.

He claimed that Indapur Dairy and Heritage were closely associated, pointing out that Indapur was earlier listed as a manufacturing unit on Heritage’s website and later described as a co-manufacturing unit after the controversy surfaced. According to him, between 2014 and 2019, TTD ghee contracts worth hundreds of crores were awarded to Indapur Dairy, and despite alleged failed lab tests in 2016, the firm was allowed to continue supplies. He further alleged that the company did not participate in tenders during the YSRCP regime but re-entered after the coalition government assumed power.

The YSRCP on Monday also raised questions over pricing. It alleged that ghee supplied to TTD by Indapur Dairy was priced at Rs 658 per kg, while similar products were reportedly sold in the open market at around Rs 560. The opposition questioned why TTD was paying a higher rate and how the 10 lakh kg ghee tender for 2025 was finalised.

The opposition is also expected to raise issues relating to procurement decisions taken during the TDP regime in 2018, including the alleged induction of a private Bhole Baba Dairy into TTD through questionable certification and the reported purchase of small quantities of premium ghee specifically for aroma. With both sides preparing to present documents, reports and procurement data, the debate in the Assembly and Council is expected to be intense.