'Use of adulterated ghee tip of iceberg': Andhra Pradesh Dy CM Pawan Kalyan's startling claim amid Tirupati Laddu row

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan on Thursday said that the adulteration of the laddu served as prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati is just the tip of the iceberg.

Kalyan also said that other decisions taken during YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy's tenure have to be investigated. He said at a rally that he was not blaming the YSR Congress chief personally on the issue of laddu adulteration but the previous Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board that was constituted during his regime. 

"Laddu Prasadam adulteration is a tip of the iceberg. We don't know how many crores of rupees they had collected during the tenure of (last) five years that has to be investigated," Kalyan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

"Eminent people of this nation, let me tell you what exactly the previous government and the leader was. The previous chief minister is trying to act innocent."

Commenting on CM N Chandrababu Naidu's allegation that the laddu prasadam was made using adulterated ghee, Kalyan said that the TDP chief was sharing what exactly happened with MLAs and MPs, citing a 'fact'.

He furthermore described the adulteration issue as an attack on Sanatana Dharma for the past 5 years. Moreover, he also pressed for 'Sanatana Dharma Certification' to ensure purity of materials used in offerings and prasadams. 

He suggested that this certification would maintain the sanctity of temple practices and safeguard religious traditions. Kalyan, also known as Power Star among his fans, called for the formation of a 'Sanatana Dharma Protection Board' at the national and state levels to safeguard the principles of Sanatana Dharma, while ensuring its preservation across the country. 

Kalyan's comments came a day before the Supreme Court will hear the case on the allegations of using animal fat to make Tirupati Laddu. In the last hearing, the top court questioned Naidu over going public with the allegations of adulterated ghee being used to prepare the prasadam without giving any conclusive proof.

"So, what was the need to go to the press at all, when you yourself ordered an investigation," the top court asked. "At least, the Gods should be kept away from politics," the apex court remarked. The Supreme Court bench also said that the lab test report was "not clear at all" and it prima facie indicated that the "rejected ghee" was subjected to test.