The possibility that Tirupati laddus contain animal fat has sparked outrage and fueled bitter political battle
Whether driven by apathy or greed, the Tirupati laddus have been found to contain substandard ingredients, with reports of adulteration, including animal fat, -an act that many consider a sacrilege against faith. For decades, the Tirupati laddu has been offered as prasadam to millions of devotees at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The mere thought of it being adulterated, let alone made with animal fat, is revolting, something no devout Hindu could have ever imagined. The Tirupati Laddus became the centre of a major controversy when Chandrababu Naidu, accused the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Government of using animal fat in the laddus, sparking outrage among devotees and political factions. On September 18, 2024, Chandrababu Naidu made a startling claim during an NDA legislative party meeting, alleging that under the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Government, substandard ingredients including animal fat were used in the preparation of the laddus. To give his allegations weight his party's spokesperson, Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy, presented a lab report from the National Dairy Development Board's Gujarat laboratory. According to this report, the ghee used in the laddus contained beef tallow, lard (pig fat), and fish oil.
The report, dated July 16, 2024, confirmed the presence of these substances, which Naidu and his supporters described as a grave affront to the Hindu faith. In his defence YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former Chief Minister accused Naidu of engaging in political opportunism and using religion to gain mileage. Reddy emphasised that the ghee procured for the laddus came from National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories certified companies and underwent rigorous testing before being used. He accused Naidu of trying to divert attention from his own administration’s failures. While nothing has been definitively proven yet, there are clear indications of possible wrongdoing. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam board procures approximately five lakh kilograms of ghee annually through an e-tender system. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), a former supplier of ghee to the temple, clarified that it had stopped supplying ghee four years ago due to pricing issues. This leaves open the question of where the current ghee supplies are sourced from. This must be probed and established before reaching any conclusion and fixing the responsiblity. It has to be handled carefully, as this could become a serious issue as sentiments of people are involved. YS Sharmila, president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, called for a CBI probe to uncover the truth. The BJP too, has expressed concern. Right now it would be premature to fix responsibility without indepth investigations. As calls for investigations grow louder, the controversy has not only shaken faith but also placed the sanctity of religious offerings at the centre of a bitter political battle.
