Andhra Minister debunks YSRCP’s claims that ghee supplied to TTD not adulterated with animal fat

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav on Saturday said that the ghee samples from TTD sent to the NDDB clearly stated that there was a possibility of the presence of animal fats, and that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had quoted the same report.

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav on Saturday said that the ghee samples from TTD sent to the NDDB clearly stated that there was a possibility of the presence of animal fats, and that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had quoted the same report. Addressing a press conference, he alleged that the previous YSRCP government treated the procurement of ghee for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) laddu as a commercial transaction, without having faith in Sri Venkateswara Swamy. ''When such a sensational issue comes to the notice of the government, should it not be told to the public or should it be suppressed as they did in 2022? As a responsible person he (CM Naidu) revealed it in an internal meeting,'' he said. The minister alleged that the ghee samples sent to Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysuru in 2022 clearly stated that the commodity was adulterated. But the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government suppressed the report. Keshav said that the samples sent to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) clearly stated that there was a possibility of the presence of animal fats, and that CM Naidu had quoted the same report. He further said the board appointed by the previous government altered the tendering condition for procurement of ghee paving way for smaller companies with lesser turnover. Keshav said the Special Investigation Team, which had submitted its chargesheet, clearly stated that the ghee adulteration fraud was to the tune of Rs 240 crore. He also alleged that the personal assistant of YV Subba Reddy, then TTD Chairman, received Rs 4 crore from dairy companies and that money was diverted to other accounts. Recently, the SIT had filed the final chargesheet in Nellore ACB Court, naming 36 people as accused, including nine TTD officials, five dairy experts and others in the ghee adulteration case. The chargesheet noted that dairy experts had allegedly colluded with the ghee manufacturers and observed that the original material which was sold to the temple body as ghee was not at all ghee, but chemically processed palmolein oil and other ingredients. CM Naidu said in September 2024 that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous regime in the state, triggering a massive political row. During an NDA legislative party meeting in the southern state in 2024, Naidu had alleged that the erstwhile YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fats for making laddus, which are revered and sought after by crores of devotees. The allegations sparked a massive controversy across the country, hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)