The matter of mixing beef and pig fat in Tirupati laddus heated up, now the Center has sought a report from Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi : The issue of mixing animal fat and fish oil in the prasad laddu of Tirupati temple is gaining momentum. The central government has now sought a detailed report from CM Jagan Mohan Reddy on this issue. All political parties have expressed anger on this issue. On the other hand, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party YSR Congress has called the allegations of mixing animal fat in the laddu as ‘disgusting’ and ‘revenge’. The allegations of mixing fat in the laddu have been made during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure as CM.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda has sought a detailed report from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in this matter. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has alleged that the ghee used to make laddus offered as prasad in the Tirupati temple and distributed to crores of devotees contains animal fat.

The issue heated up when the TDP made a sensational allegation citing a July report of a Gujarat government laboratory that said traces of beef tallow, fish oil and lard were found in ghee samples used when YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was the chief minister.

Chandrababu Naidu and his/her deputy Jana Sena Party leader Pawan Kalyan have lashed out at the YSRCP and accused Jagan Mohan Reddy of desecrating the temple and ‘Sanatana Dharma’. Union minister and BJP national general secretary Sanjay Bandi has strongly criticised it, calling it an ‘unpardonable sin’.

he/she also claimed that ghee was adulterated because ‘some people from other religions’ were included in the board. BJP MP and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board member Bhanu Prakash Reddy has even demanded an FIR against former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy.

On the other hand, YSR Congress has rejected these allegations. Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board for four years, YV Subba Reddy said, ‘It is unimaginable to say that animal fat was used in the laddus offered to the deity and given to the devotees every day.’

Subba Reddy termed Chandrababu Naidu’s allegations as ‘disgusting’ and accused him/her of harming the sanctity of the temple. he/she said that in fact Chandrababu Naidu has harmed the sanctity of the temple by making such derogatory remarks and has affected crores of devotees.

Karunakar Reddy, another senior YSR Congress leader and two-time Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board chairman, said the TDP government’s claims amounted to political vendetta against Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Meanwhile, Union Food Minister Prahlad Joshi has said that the matter should be thoroughly investigated considering its seriousness. he/she said, ‘What the Chief Minister said is a matter of serious concern. There should be a detailed investigation into this and the guilty should be punished.’

However, the Congress party is reacting very cautiously on this issue. The party’s state unit chief YS Sharmila has demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. She said, ‘If there is no political angle in your allegations… if you have no intention of doing politics on this issue… then form a high-level committee or demand a CBI inquiry. Congress demands you to find out the truth.’