A lab report has confirmed that the laddoos offered to devotees as prasad at Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh contained animal fats and fish oil, India Today reported on Thursday.
A major controversy has broken out after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of using animal fat and substandard ingredients in making the Tirupati laddoo.
Now, a report by NDDB CALF, a private laboratory focused on testing animal feed and milk products, has revealed that the samples of the ghee used in making Tirupati laddoos contained foreign fat, including palm oil, fish oil, beef tallow and lard (obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig).
TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy said,"The lab reports of samples certify that beef tallow and animal fat - lard, and fish oil were used in the preparation of ghee which was supplied to Tirumala and also the S value is only 19.7"
In a tweet on Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh targeted the Jagan Mohan Reddy government for using "animal fat instead of ghee in the Tirupati Prasadam". "The Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala is our most sacred temple. I am shocked to learn that the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy administration used animal fat instead of ghee in the Tirupati Prasadam," he said in a post on X.
VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal slammed former chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. "Everybody knows about the anti-Hindu acts and deeds of the previous YSR government in Andhra Pradesh but nobody could expect that it may fall down to this level."
The YSRCP termed Naidu's allegation as "malicious" and said that the TDP supremo would "stoop to any level for political gain". YSRCP's Subba Reddy alleged that Naidu had severely damaged the sanctity of the holy Tirumala and the faith of crores of Hindus with his comments.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y S Sharmila demanded a CBI probe to ascertain whether animal fat was really used to make the sweet. Sharmila said Naidu’s charges hurt the sentiments of crores of Hindus who consider Lord Venkateswara as a revered deity.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) termed it a "serious issue" and demanded punishment for those who used animal fat in Tirupati laddoos. "This is a very serious issue, raised by none other than Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. Punish those who used animal fat in Tirupati laddu prasadam," VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said in a statement.
(With inputs from Apoorva Jayachandran)