Ghee used to make Tirupati laddoos had fish oil, beef tallow: TDP’s Nara Lokesh Naidu to Express

He said that the ghee samples were sent to NDDB CALF (Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food), which confirmed the presence of animal fats.

Sources said the ghee used to prepare the laddoos and other ‘prasadams’ was procured from multiple agencies and vendors during the YSR Congress Party regime, and the TDP-led NDA government is trying to find out where the ghee allegedly got adulterated.

TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy told The Indian Express that the Water and Food Analysis Laboratory of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD, an independent trust) in Tirumala had procured a sample of the ghee and laddoos in the first week of July and sent it to NDDB CALF.

On Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had alleged that the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government had used animal fat instead of ghee to prepare the laddoo ‘prasadam’ at Tirumala. The YSRCP, which furiously dismissed and rubbished Naidu’s allegations, went quiet after the purported test results were released by the Telugu Desam Party’s social media accounts on Thursday.

On Wednesday, addressing the NDA legislature party meeting at Amaravati, Naidu had said, “Even Tirumala laddoo was made with substandard ingredients… they used animal fat instead of ghee.” He claimed that after his party came to power, they sanitised everything and improved the quality of the sweet.

“Naidu will stoop to any level for political gains,” former TTD chairman and senior YSRCP leader Y V Subba Reddy said. “The ghee used was of top quality derived from milk of indigenous cows of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Naidu’s comments are malicious.”

Former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy also rubbished Naidu’s allegations, saying that officials who were involved in procurement of pure ghee worked under Naidu’s previous regime as well as the YSRCP regime, and no one found anything wrong with the quality of ghee that was procured.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y S Sharmila demanded that Naidu be held accountable for his remarks. She urged him to set up a high-level inquiry if his allegations were genuine, emphasising the need to protect the sanctity of the revered temple.

Y V Subba Reddy, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s office refused to comment on the lab report.