A four-hour purification ritual was conducted at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) shrine in response to allegations of animal fats being used in the preparation of the revered Tirupati laddus. The ritual aimed to appease Lord Venkateswara Swamy and reassure devotees about the sanctity of the temple’s offerings.
TTD executive officer J Shyamala Rao addressed the concerns, assuring devotees that the sanctity of the ‘prasadams’ had been restored after the ritual. Meanwhile, India’s food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), issued a show-cause notice to a Tamil Nadu-based company, A R Dairy Food Private Ltd, for allegedly supplying substandard ghee to the temple authorities.
Calls for a comprehensive investigation have mounted, with BJP leader and former minister Subramanian Swamy urging a court-monitored inquiry into the matter. Former TTD chairman and YSRCP MP YV Subba Reddy has denied the allegations of adulteration but has supported an independent investigation headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad has also urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the situation, reflecting the seriousness of the claims.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced the formation of a special investigation team to probe the issue. The matter escalated after Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fats, were used during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure. However, YSRCP chief and former chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly denied these accusations.
The FSSAI has since queried A R Dairy Food Private Ltd regarding potential violations of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011, with sources indicating that the company has been supplying ghee to the TTD for the last four years.
With calls for a transparent and thorough investigation from multiple sides, the controversy has gained national attention, leaving devotees and authorities waiting for clarity on the issue.