Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 30 : Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu said on Friday that the SIT chargesheet has clearly established the presence of adulterated ghee in the preparation of Srivari laddus, while claiming that certain groups of misleading devotees by falsely claiming that a "clean chit" had been given in the case. He asserted that strict action would be taken against those who compromised the sanctity of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Addressing the media at Padmavathi Rest House in Tirupati, the Chairman said that claims denying ghee adulteration are completely false, as the SIT chargesheet itself clearly records evidence of adulteration. He pointed out that serious violations occurred during the ghee procurement tender process and alleged that tender rules were altered to benefit certain parties.
He said ghee tenders were awarded to companies that lacked the required capacity. About 6 million kilograms of adulterated ghee, worth nearly ₹250 crore, were procured. Tests conducted by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) confirmed the presence of animal fat in the ghee, he said.
Chairman BR Naidu expressed concern that some entities claimed to have produced ghee despite not owning even a single cow or having any genuine production capacity. He further warned that certain chemicals used in the ghee preparation process were extremely dangerous.
By using this alleged adulterated ghee, nearly 200 million laddus were prepared, causing severe damage to the sanctity of the Tirumala shrine, he said. He alleged that certain dairies were selected purely for commissions and accused some individuals of deliberately attempting to undermine Hindu society. Over the past five years, Hindu gods and the Hindu community were repeatedly insulted, he said.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, YSRCP senior leader and former TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy performed the Srinivasa Prasada Ninda Parihara Homam (Srinivasa Prasada reproach remedial ritual) in Tirupati.
The Srinivasa Prasada Ninda Parihara Homam commenced with devotion and religious fervour at Annamayya Bhavan. The homa is being conducted as a Ninda Parihara (atonement ritual) by Reddy in response to what he dubbed were alleged defamatory remarks made by Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan against the sacred Lord Venkateswara Swamy Laddu Prasadam.
The YSRCP has strongly criticised the TDP-led coalition government for making baseless remarks despite the CBI report on the Tirupati laddu issue clearly establishing the facts.
Former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said the CBI report on the alleged laddu adulteration categorically stated that there was a nexus between certain officials and ghee suppliers, and that there was no mention of any YSRCP leader in the case. Despite this, he said that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu continued to make allegations, even in Cabinet meetings, falsely claiming that the relaxation of tender norms led to adulteration.
Bhumana said that both Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had publicly raised concerns about adulteration, but the CBI report clearly confirmed that no animal fat was found in the Tirupati laddu. He said the report exposed the coalition leaders' "false propaganda and political drama."
The CBI findings, he added, were a direct answer to their misleading campaign. Bhumana challenged the coalition government to order a CBI probe into ghee supply during the 2014 to 2019 period to reveal the complete truth. He also pointed out that the coalition government used tankers that had earlier been rejected by the board appointed during the YSRCP regime, as mentioned in the CBI report. The coalition's false propaganda has completely fallen flat, he said, adding that their counterattack after the report is nothing but a shameful attempt to divert attention.