YCP govt used ghee made with 'chemicals': Naidu

Kurnool: The ongoing controversy over the Tirupati laddu took a new turn on Friday with Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu alleging that the laddu prasadam (consecrated sweet) was made using ghee which was adulterated with “chemicals used to clean bathrooms” during the previous YSRCP government.

Alleging further that a systematic attempt was made to damage the sanctity and reputation of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy during the previous government, he claimed that for nearly five years, laddus were prepared with chemically adulterated ghee. Such actions, he said, not only hurt the religious sentiments of devotees but also aimed at discrediting the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), one of the most revered religious institutions in the country.

There were two types of chemicals, he said, observing that some were of vegetable origin, which were costlier, but noted that animal fat is less priced. Naidu reiterated that the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) report says that animal fat was used. As a devotee, he should not speak much, keeping the sanctity of Venkateswara Swamy in view.

Addressing a village meeting at Kalugotla village in Kurnool district after the distribution of Pattadar Passbooks, the Chief Minister rejected claims that there was no adulteration, stating that while some leaders cite clean chits allegedly given by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and SIT, even a close relative of the accused YV Subba Reddy, former TTD chairperson, had acknowledged that adulteration had indeed taken place.

Chandrababu Naidu said he took corrective steps to restore the purity of the prasadam after the TTD was “defiled” by such practices. He also pointed out a clear difference between the quality of laddus distributed in the past and those being offered now, asserting that devotees themselves could notice the change.

Criticising what he termed as “political showmanship” by former chief minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister alleged that in the name of consolatory visits, deliberate inconvenience was caused to the public, citing instances where travel to Guntur took up to six hours and other vehicles were restricted, causing hardship to commuters. He further referred to past incidents involving aggressive convoy movements and acts of intimidation, stating that such displays of strength should be limited to election campaigns, not public life. “Instead of fighting for people’s issues, they are indulging in power demonstrations for political gains,” he said, adding that he knows well how to counter such politics.