Tirupati Laddu Prasadam Row: The Andhra Pradesh Congress has formally written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged presence of beef tallow and fish oil in the ghee used to prepare the sacred laddu prasadam at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). Andhra Pradesh Congress President YS Sharmila, who is also the sister of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, expressed serious concern over the issue and criticised current Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for handling the matter too casually.
In a statement, YS Sharmila said, "Yesterday, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu told that the earlier govt was involved in the adulteration of prasadam. This relates to the sentiment, emotions and the faith of crores of people, not only in Andhra Pradesh but also but all over the country and even internationally."
She further questioned why Naidu had treated the revelation lightly and stressed that the Congress party is taking the matter seriously.
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Sharmila emphasised that the Congress party is demanding a CBI investigation, given the gravity of the issue, which concerns millions of devotees.
Similarly, the controversy has sparked significant political tensions. Nara Lokesh, a TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh Minister, sharply criticized the previous YSRCP government for its alleged mismanagement of the TTD. Lokesh accused the YSRCP of running the temple trust for personal gain and pledged that the current NDA government would restore the temple's sanctity and ensure the quality of the prasadam.
However, YSRCP denied the allegations and said that CM Naidu could stoop to any low for his 'political gains'.