Union Minister Pralhad Joshi calls for investigation into Tirupati prasadam row

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday called for a detailed investigation into the Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s allegation that the previous YSRCP government had used substandard ingredients and animal fat in making Tirupati laddu, a consecrated sweet.

“Whatever the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said is a very serious matter, it should be investigated in detail and whoever is guilty should be punished,” Joshi told reporters here.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Tirupati Prasadam row, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, “Whatever the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said is a very serious matter, it should be investigated in detail and whoever is guilty should be punished.” pic.twitter.com/0yJFTbePnc

— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2024

Citing a copy of a ‘lab report’, TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy alleged that “beef tallow and animal fat (lard) and fish oil were used in the preparation of ghee, which was supplied to Tirumala.”

“The lab reports of samples that were sent for testing to the National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat certify that beef tallow and animal fat, lard, and fish oil were used in the preparation of ghee that was supplied to Tirumala and also the S value is only 19.7. The Hindu religion is offended by this. The ‘prasadam’ which is offered to the Lord thrice a day has been mixed with this ghee”, Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy alleged.

“We hope that justice will be done and Lord Govinda will forgive us for whatever mistakes have been committed,” he said.

Meanwhile, priest of Tirumala temple, Ramana Deekshitulu said, “The cow ghee used for making prasad had a lot of impurities and was of poor quality. I noticed this many years ago. I put it before the concerned authorities and the chairman of the trust board. But they did not care. It is a lonely battle for me but now, the new government has taken power and has promised to clear all the mess. They have already bought pure cow ghee from government dairies and they are now preparing food material with pure ghee. Care should be taken that such great sins are not repeated in the temple, which is a holy temple in which crores of devotees have great faith and devotion”.

On Thursday, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh shared a video clip in which Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was seen saying that previously animal fat was used in consecrated sweets, Tirupati prasadam, instead of ghee at Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati.

In a post on X, Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh said that he was shocked by the findings and added, “The Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirumala is our most sacred temple. I am shocked to learn that the YS Jagan administration used animal fat instead of ghee in the Tirupati Prasadam. Shame on YS Jagan and the YSR party government that couldn’t respect the religious sentiments of crores of devotees”.

The charges of the Andhra CM have been denied by former TDP Chairman and YSRCP leader Y V Subbareddy who claimed that only organic ingerdients were used in the preparation of Prasadam.

“All the ingredients used for Swami’s offerings from last three 3 years are all organic ingredients including ghee. This is a very vile allegation that our government and our party, which have done so many programs while protecting the sanctity of Swami, are doing so many programs to mislead the people”, he said. (ANI)