Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Thursday demanded a probe into the alleged use of animal fat in the preparation of the prasadam at Tirupati temple, in Andhra Pradesh.
God will not forgive for this massive betrayal to Hindus, the Union Minister said in a post on X, adding animal fat being used in laddu is a deep betrayal of faith and trust to Hindus who pray to Tirumala Venkateshwara Swamy.
In the past, we raised concerns that allowing individuals from other communities and atheists as employees and also into TTD board would lead to corruption and disrespect towards beliefs of Hindus, he added.
"We demand that the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct an immediate probe into the matter to uncover the truth and take strong action against those responsible. We urge the government to protect the sanctity of Tirumala," he added.
TDP and YSRCP spar over 'animal fat' claim
Soon after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was used in Tirupati laddus during the previous government triggered a massive political row on Thursday. Hitting back at the government, YSRCP accused Naidu of indulging in "heinous allegations" for political gains and TDP circulating a lab report to back the claim.
During an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday, Naidu claimed that the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making laddus.
TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy in a press conference claimed that the adulteration has been confirmed by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory, on the ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.
He displayed the purported lab report which apparently confirmed the presence of "beef tallow", “Lard” and “Fish Oil” in the given ghee sample.
The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024 and the lab report was dated July 16. However, there was no official confirmation on the lab report from either the Andhra Pradesh government or the TTD.
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