Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that the laddus given as ‘prasadam’ at the Sri Venkateswara temple contain animal fat and fish oil. He said that animal fat was used instead of ghee to make ‘prasadam’ when Jagan Mohan Reddy was the chief minister. Naidu’s party, TDP, presented a report from NDDB CALF (Centre for Analysis and Learning on Animal Husbandry and Food) as evidence. They alleged the use of beef tallow, lard, fish oil, and palm oil in the laddus.
The laddus are made in a special kitchen by a dedicated section that has been doing this for centuries. The temple has been offering laddu as prasadam to devotees for over 300 years. Sources say that nearly 400 to 500 kg of ghee, 750 kg of cashew nuts, 500 kg of raisins, and 200 kg of cardamom are used to make the laddus every day.
A lab test report confirms that beef fat and fish oil were used in making laddus at Balaji Temple in Tirupati.
Those responsible for this act of defilement of Hindu religious sentiments must be incarcerated.
If Hindus do not unite, they will be subjected to such humiliations, in the name of ‘secularism’. pic.twitter.com/wpVS28ewy6
-Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 19, 2024
What is beef tallow?
What is lard?
Lard, once common in baking, has been mostly replaced by vegetable oil in kitchens. It is a semi-solid white fat made by rendering pig fat and is a staple in pork-eating communities.
Both lard and vegetable oil are safe to eat, but using them in prasadam has caused controversy. The main ingredients of laddu are gram flour, sugar, sugar cubes, cashew nuts, cardamom, camphor, and raisins.
What TDP claimed on Tirupati laddus
What did Chandrababu Naidu say on Tirupati laddus?
At a public meeting in Prakasam district, CM Chandrababu Naidu said the previous government bought low-quality ghee at cheap prices, which affected the quality of the laddus and hurt the sacredness of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
“We have now changed the ghee supplier. We are buying Nandini brand ghee from Karnataka. People say their sentiments were hurt by the allegations of adulterated ghee and animal fat in the laddus. When sentiments are hurt, should I spare those responsible for such mistakes?” Chandrababu Naidu asked, emphasizing that people have faith in their religions.
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy hits back
Former CM and YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy called the issue “diversion politics” and a “concocted story.”
Reddy said the adulteration claim was made to distract from the state government’s 100 days of rule. He accused Naidu of using even God for political gains.
“This is diversion politics. People are angry about Chandrababu Naidu’s 100 days in power and are asking about their ‘Super six’ poll promises. To divert attention, this story was made up,” Reddy said.
“Is it fair to play with the sentiments of millions of devotees worldwide?” Reddy asked CM Naidu.
Reddy also noted that all samples, tests, and results mentioned in the lab reports were done under the NDA government.
What Tirupati ghee supplier AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd said
AR Dairy Food Private Limited, a company from Tamil Nadu, supplied ghee to the Tirupati Lord Balaji temple. They said their product samples were cleared by authorities for quality.
The Dindigul-based company supplied ghee to the Tirumala temple only in June and July. Each supply came with accredited lab reports.
Never supplied ghee to Tirupati temple: Amul
Amul clarified on Friday that it has never supplied ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).
After social media posts claimed otherwise, Amul posted a statement on X. They said, “We have never supplied Amul Ghee to TTD.”
Amul also explained that their ghee is made from high-quality milk at ISO-certified facilities. The milk undergoes strict quality checks, including tests for adulteration as per FSSAI standards.
Why was Nandini ghee supply to Tirupati temple was halted last year?
Karnataka Muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy announced on Friday that all prasada at major temples in the state will be tested. He said only Nandini ghee from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) will be used to make the prasada.
“A circular will be issued today or tomorrow to all major temples in Karnataka mandating the use of only KMF’s Nandini ghee in prasada. We will also test the prasada given at these temples,” Reddy said.
In 2023, KMF did not participate in a tender to supply ghee to TTD. KMF said it sold ghee at ₹400 per kilogram and couldn’t match the lower prices offered by other companies to TTD, News18 reported.
The federation said it didn’t want to compromise on quality and reducing prices would cause losses and affect farmers.
However, KMF started supplying Nandini ghee to Tirupati in the past month after chief minister Chandrababu Naidu directed them to improve the quality of laddus.
Sharp reaction from Lord Venkateswara temple’s ex-priest
Former chief priest of Lord Venkateswara temple, Ramana Deekshitulu, expressed sadness over reports of adulteration in the ingredients used for making the sacred ‘laddu prasadam.’
He said he had informed the executive officer and TTD board chairman about the quality issues, but nothing was done. He urged CM Naidu to take action to fix the problem.