Firing a fresh salvo against Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that “bathroom cleaning chemicals” were used to adulterate the ghee used for making laddu prasadam at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati.
At a public event in Kurnool, Naidu said, “Even in the Srisailam Temple, this adulteration seems to have happened.” Naidu’s statements came after the YSR Congress Party’s leaders accused him of “lying” in connection with his earlier allegations that the Tirupati ghee had been contaminated with beef tallow and lard.
A CBI chargesheet has said tallow and lard were not found in the ghee, but that it was adulterated using plant oils and chemicals.
The adulteration of the Tirupati prasadam is alleged to have taken place during the period between 2019 and 2024, when the YSR Congress Party was in power and Jagan Mohan Reddy was chief minister.
Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party said in a statement, “The latest revelations from the official chargesheet have sparked fresh outrage and deep anguish among devotees Tirupati laddu, exposing the horrifying truth that a toilet cleaning chemical was used to adulterate the sacred Tirupati Laddu,” a statement from TDP read.
The TDP said that as per the chargesheet, one of the accused, Manish Gupta, allegedly prepared invoices in various names during the period March 2022 to May 2024. It is alleged that Pomil Jain (accused no. 3) issued purchase orders directly via informal channels such as WhatsApp to Manish Gupta. During this period, M/s Aristo Chemicals allegedly supplied Lactic Acid and LABSA/Acid Slurry totalling approximately 8,900 kilograms to M/s Harsh Fresh Dairy Products Private Limited and M/s Bhole Baba Organic Dairy Milk Private Limited(A7).
LABSA is “non-food grade” and “corrosive industrial substance capable of causing severe chemical burns, internal organ damage, and potentially fatal injuries if ingested”, the TDP statement said.
The YSRCP, meanwhile, responded by saying that the TDP and its supremo, CM Naidu, were trying to rile up communal sentiments for political gain. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the party would explore all avenues, including the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to expose the “jungle raj” of the coalition government and the “false propaganda” being unleashed in the Tirupati laddu issue.
Reddy said that the CBI, after completing its investigation, has filed a chargesheet clearly stating that there was no animal fat in the ghee used to prepare the laddu. “The chargesheet, backed by reports from two Central laboratories, does not mention the names of anyone associated with the YSRCP,” Reddy said.
“The facts mentioned in the court-monitored CBI report will prevail, and the one-man commission appointed by Chandrababu Naidu is only an eyewash and will not stand any scrutiny,” he said.
“Chandrababu Naidu has been dragging God into politics, and he, along with his son Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan, has been using God for selfish and political gains,” he added.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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