Tirupati Laddu Row: Andhra CM To Consult Priests For Future Course, His Deputy Announces 11-Day Penance

Tirupati Laddu Controversy: CM Chandrababu Naidu said he will consult religious experts for guidance on further action while Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan announced an 11-day penance to atone for the alleged desecration.

Tirupati Laddu Row: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday announced that the state government would seek advice from pontiffs, sages, priests, and other Hinduism experts on the course of action following serious allegations of adulteration involving animal fat in the famed Tirupati laddus. This decision comes in the wake of claims that the laddus, a unique offering at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati, were prepared using substandard ingredients during the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government.

“We are discussing what to do next and how to go forward with respect to TTD. After deliberating with pontiffs, priests, and Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) experts, we will decide on how the samprokshana (ritualistic sanitisation) should be done,” Naidu said in an official release, as per news agency PTI. He also underscored the significance of the Tirupati laddu, noting that it has resisted attempts to be replicated elsewhere. "In Ayodhya also they tried to replicate Tirumala laddu, and workers were taken from here, but it was not possible," Naidu remarked.

Naidu stressed that the holiness of temples would be a priority for his government. “Every religion has customs and traditions, and the government needs to protect them,” he said, criticising the alleged desecrations of temples under the former YSRCP regime. He further cast doubt on Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s response to the allegations, questioning the pricing of cow ghee, which was reportedly bought at Rs 320 per kilogram under the YSRCP's rule.

Additionally, Naidu shared that his administration had implemented measures to improve the quality of the laddus, including blacklisting certain suppliers and resuming the purchase of ghee from Nandini. "For quality laddus, we started buying ghee again from Nandini. The executive officer sanitised, but we did not come out and reveal all these things every day. We just went ahead doing the work," Naidu added, stating that the deity inspired him to address the issue now.

Tirupati Laddu Row: Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan Announces 11-Day Penance

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan announced that he would undertake an 11-day penance to atone for the alleged sins linked to the laddus’ adulteration. Kalyan, also the founder of the Janasena party, revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that his penance would begin on Sunday at the Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy temple in Namburu, Guntur district. “After undertaking the 11-day penance, I will visit Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy,” Kalyan wrote, requesting divine strength to perform the necessary ritualistic sanitisation.

Kalyan also questioned how employees and board members of the TTD, the official custodian of the temple, could have remained unaware of the alleged irregularities.

Naidu’s accusations have ignited a public outcry across the country, with many calling for immediate action to restore the sanctity of the laddus, an iconic offering to Lord Venkateswara.