YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, also the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging swift action against the allegations made by CM N Chandrababu Naidu regarding the quality of the famous laddu ‘prasadam’ from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Reddy accused Naidu of making baseless claims for political gains and requested that he be reprimanded for damaging the faith of Hindu devotees.
The controversy began when Chandrababu Naidu alleged that during the previous YSRCP government, animal fat was mixed into the ghee used to make the Tirumala laddus. Naidu’s claims caused widespread outrage among devotees of Lord Venkateswara, as the laddus are considered sacred.
A laboratory analysis report released by Naidu’s government indicated the presence of foreign fats, such as lard (pig fat), tallow (beef fat), and fish oil in the ghee used to prepare the laddu ‘prasadam’. However, the report did not clarify whether these adulterants were added deliberately or were the result of contamination.
Reddy and the YSRCP have strongly denied these allegations, calling them politically motivated. Meanwhile, the Central government has stepped in, with Union Health Minister JP Nadda assuring a full investigation into the matter.
The controversy also highlighted a change in ghee suppliers during the YSRCP’s tenure, when the Karnataka Milk Federation’s “Nandini” brand was replaced by a private contractor. After complaints about laddu quality, the NDA government reinstated the KMF ghee contract on August 29. The TTD uses around 10,000 kg of ghee daily to prepare the laddus, which are revered by millions of devotees globally.
