The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Tirupati Laddoo Row

  • Tirupati Laddoo Row: SC To Hear Pleas Of Subramanian Swamy, Ex-TTD Chief Seeking Probe On September 30 |

    Tirupati Laddoo Row: The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions seeking an investigation into the alleged use of animal fat in the preparation of laddoos ‘prasadam’ in Tirupati on Monday. 

    The petitions have been filed by Bharatiya Jaata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman YV Subba Reddy, who is a Rajya Sabha MP.

    Last week, a row erupted after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was used to make laddoos given as ‘prasad’ by the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati under the previous YSR Congress government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

    Both Swamy and YV Subba Reddy have urged for a court-monitored probe into the allegations, and their petitions will be heard by a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, according to media reports.

    The BJP leader, in his public interest litigation (PIL) filed earlier this week, requested the Supreme Court to direct the Andhra Pradesh government to file a detailed report on the ghee used for making the laddoos. He also sought a detailed forensic report in the matter.

    Citing a lab report, the state government had claimed that the ghee used in the laddoos contained traces of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat). 

    “There ought to have been checks and balances internally to supervise and verify and check the quality, or the lack of it, of the suppliers supplying various ingredients to the temple that go into the making of the prasad,” the petition said. 

    Meanwhile, a PIL was also filed by YV Subba Reddy seeking an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) monitored by a retired judge of the apex court to probe the allegations levelled by Naidu’s. 

    Amid the controversy over Tirpati laddoos, Reddy has been going all out to defend his party against the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s claims. He has been reiterating that no adulterated ghee was used in the process of making laddoos.

    Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu on Friday slammed Jagan Mohan Reddy and accused him of “spreading false information.” This comes after Reddy claimed that the TDP government obstructed his visit to Tirumala.

  • Tirupati Laddoo Row: YSRCP’s Jagan Reddy Calls Naidu ‘Pathological Liar’, Seeks PM Modi’s Intervention |

    Tirupati Laddoo Row: Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in the controversy pertaining to animal fat allegedly being found in Tirupati temple laddoos. He said that attempts are being made by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity, and reputation of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

    In an eight page letter addressed to PM Modi, Reddy dubbed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister as a “habitual liar” and alleged that CM Naidu has stooped so low as to hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives.

    “Attempts are being made by the Chief Minister Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, to irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity, and reputation of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. Lord Venkateshwara has crores of Hindu devotees not just in India but across the globe, and if the delicate situation is not handled carefully, these lies could precipitate a widespread agony, having far-reaching consequences on various fronts,” the letter read.

    “Chandrababu Naidu a pathological and habitual liar has stooped so low as to seriously hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives…It is imperative that Mr Naidu be reprimanded in severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies and the truth be… pic.twitter.com/LiYyUUeVXg
    — ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2024

    Reddy also said that Naidu be reprimanded in the severest way and the truth be brought to light. “Chandrababu Naidu, a pathological and habitual liar, has stooped so low as to seriously hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives… It is imperative that Mr. Naidu be reprimanded in the severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies and the truth be brought to light. This would allay the suspicions that Mr. Naidu has created in the minds of crores of Hindu devotees and restore the faith in the sanctity of the TTD,” Reddy’s letter read. 

    The letter came days after the controversy pertaining to the Tirupati temple laddoos erupted after Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu claimed that the previous YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making laddus.

    Later, TTD Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao, in a press conference, said lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples, and the board is in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied “adulterated” ghee. 

    Detailing the process undertaken at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the custodian of the super-rich shrine of Sri Venkateswara Swamy, for accepting ghee, in an eight page letter, Jagan alleged that Naidu’s actions lowered not only the stature of CM but also that of everyone in public life, the sanctity of TTD and its practices.

    “Sir, the entire country looks to you at this crucial juncture. It is very imperative that Mr Naidu be reprimanded in the severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies and the truth be brought to light. Sir, this would help allay the suspicions that Mr Naidu has created in the minds of crores of Hindu devotees and restore their faith in sanctity of TTD,” Reddy wrote in his letter.

    Explaining the sequence of events, he said it is crucial to note that the ghee allegedly adulterated was rejected and not allowed to enter the premises of TTD. However, Naidu, with malafide intention, raised the issue at a political party meeting on September 18.

    In the letter, the former Andhra Pradesh CM also claimed that the new government has failed on all fronts with respect to the fulfillment of the commitments made to the voters prior to the elections, and CM Naidu is spreading lies to divert attention from his failures. 
           
    “The new Government has failed on all fronts with respect to the fulfillment of the commitments made to the electorate prior to the elections. The new Government could not even pass the general budget for the current financial year fearing that the appropriations to be made would expose Mr. Naidu’s insincerity towards his election promises and would result in backlash from the people of the State. The people of the State lost trust on the abilities of Mr. Naidu. Mindful of this and for purposes of diverting the people’s attention from his failures, Mr. Naidu had spread blatant lies against the practices of the TTD.”