Prasadam row: Amul lodges FIR, says never supplied ghee to Tirupati temple

AHMEDABAD: The managing director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), Jayen Mehta, on Saturday said that an FIR has been lodged at the cybercrime branch of Ahmedabad police against “misinformation campaign” allegedly defaming Amul and spreading rumours that they had supplied the ghee that allegedly contained animal fat to Tirupati Balaji temple.

Mehta said, “In Andhra Pradesh, the ghee used in the Tirupati temple was found with adulteration. Some people tried to propagate false information by saying that ghee to TTD was supplied by Amul. To stop this ‘misinformation campaign’, we have lodged an FIR in the cybercrime branch of Ahmedabad, as, this is a serious issue, related with 36 lakh families, who are associated with Amul”, he said.

#WATCH | Anand, Gujarat: Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of GCMMF (AMUL) says, “Adulterated ghee was found in the Laddu Prasad made at Tirupati Devasthanams. But several people indulged in a misinformation campaign that this was Amul ghee. Till date, we have never supplied ghee to… pic.twitter.com/tuvaxOPWdi

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2024

The MD of the cooperative milk federation, which owns the Amul brand, said that Amul “has never supplied its product to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD)”. “Amul products are of top quality and passes through stringent quality checks. We urge people to stay away from such kind of disinformation,” Mehta said.

Amid a row over the use of animal fat in prasadam given at Tirumala temple, Amul on September 20 issued a statement saying that it had never supplied ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). After posts on various social media platforms, Amul.coop posted a statement on X, that Amul Ghee was never supplied to the TTD.

“This is in reference to some social media posts mentioning that Amul Ghee was being supplied to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). We wish to inform that we have never supplied Amul Ghee to TTD”, the statement read. “We also wish to clarify Amul Ghee is made from milk at our state-of-the-art production facilities, which are ISO certified. Amul Ghee is made from high-quality pure milk fat. The milk received at our dairies passes through stringent quality checks, including adulteration detection as specified by FSSAI”, it added.

The row was triggered after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, a sweet offered at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government.

Reacting to the Tirupati laddu issue, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that the TDP is “politicising religious matters”. “The tender process occurs every six months, and the qualification criteria have not changed for decades. Suppliers must provide an NABL certificate and a product quality certificate. The TTD collects samples of the ghee and only products that pass certification are used. The TDP is politicising religious matters. In our regime, we have rejected products 18 times”, Reddy said.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday spoke to Chief Minister Naidu and sought a full report on the issue, adding that the Centre would examine the matter and take suitable action.

Addressing a press briefing on the Modi government’s 100-day achievements, Nadda, when asked about adulteration in Tirupati prasadam, said, “I have spoken to Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu after receiving information about this and took details from him. I have asked him to share the available report so that I can examine it. I will also speak to the state regulators and investigate this. Suitable action will be taken as per the food safety standards. As of now, I have asked for the report and we will examine it”.

YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said that he will write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and claimed that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has twisted the facts.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, I myself am writing a letter to the Prime Minister. I am also writing a letter to the Chief Justice of India. I am explaining to them as to how Chandrababu Naidu twisted the facts and why action should be taken against him for having done so”, the YSRCP chief told reporters. (ANI)