As the Tirupati Laddu row snowballed into a major national controversy over the alleged use of animal fat in the Tirupati prasadam, Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday said that he has spoken to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and sought the available report for review.
Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi has also called for an investigation into the allegation, which has sparked concern among devotees. Nadda stated that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), an apex food regulator, will investigate the matter and take action according to food safety standards.
“The matter would be examined by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and suitable action will be taken,” he said. The Cabinet Minister was responding to a query at a press conference held on the achievements in the health sector during the first 100 days of the Modi Government’s third term.
The FSSAI is a statutory body under the administration of the Union Health Ministry.
Naidu has claimed that animal fat was allegedly used for making Tirupati laddus during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy Government.
It had sparked a massive political controversy with the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) accusing the Chief Minister of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) circulating a lab report to back the claim.
Nadda further said that he got to know about the issue through social media. “I will also speak to the State regulators and take their views.” “Whatever the Andhra Chief Minister has said is a matter of serious concern. A detailed inquiry is required and the culprit should be punished,” Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of the Global Food Regulators Summit in Delhi.
TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy had on Thursday claimed that adulteration was confirmed by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory in ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.
He showed the purported lab report, which apparently confirmed the presence of “beef tallow”, “lard” and “fish oil” in the sample. The sample receipt date was July 9 and the lab report was dated July 16.
While the allegation has been vehemently denied by the opposition YSR Congress Party, a former priest of the temple on Friday said that animal fat has been allegedly used in the prasad for years and informing the board led to no action.
“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,” he told a news agency.
The temple body managing the super-rich shrine on Friday revealed it has come across sub-standard ghee and presence of lard in samples tested for quality, echoing claims first made by Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu two days ago.
With the fingers of accusation being pointed at the previous regime over the issue, former CM and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy described the matter as “diversion politics,” and slammed it as a “concocted story.”
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, asserted there was presence of ‘Lard’ (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee, citing a lab report. TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples and the board was in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied ‘adulterated’ ghee.
A lab value indicated the sample was adulterated with lard also, Rao said while addressing a press conference in Tirupati. “All the four reports of samples gave similar results. So we immediately stopped (receiving) the supplies. And the blacklisting of the contractor was initiated and the procedure to impose penalties would also be initiated. Now, the legal process will start,” he said.
The EO highlighted that the suppliers took advantage of a lack of in-house testing facility. The TTD administers the popular hill shrine that attracts lakhs of devotees throughout the year.
During an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday, Naidu, chief of the ruling TDP, claimed that the previous YSRCP Government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making the popular sweet, known for its unique taste.
