Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration: Chandrababu Naidu announces one-man committee

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced a one-man committee to take corrective steps after a SIT report confirmed ghee adulteration in Tirupati laddus. He called it the greatest sin and blamed the previous government

Amaravati: Describing the alleged ghee adulteration in Tirupati laddu as the “greatest sin against god”, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced the setting up of a one-man committee to take corrective measures following a SIT report.

Even a 2022 Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) report, when the YSRCP was in power, clearly stated there was adulteration, he said.

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Addressing a press conference, Naidu said that after he became the CM in 2024, as part of the “cleansing process” of TTD, ghee samples were sent to NDDB-CALF, which clearly stated that the commodity was adulterated with animal fat.

“The NDDB clearly stated that ghee was adulterated with animal fat. I said the same. Today, the SIT has submitted the report. The SIT report on ghee clearly says that it was adulterated with palmolein oil and chemicals,” the Chief Minister said.

The SIT has submitted a report to take administrative action against certain people.

“We will appoint a one-man committee to study the lapses and take corrective measures. If there is any additional information available, we will submit it to the court,” the Chief Minister added.

Naidu said the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government committed a “sin” by allegedly indulging in the adulteration. He alleged that several temples were attacked during the previous regime.

Describing Venkateswara Swamy as his “family god”, Naidu said he believes that the Lord saved him when Naxalites attacked him using claymore mines in early 2003.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) is the custodian of the Lord Venkateswara temple, a rich hill shrine flocked by lakhs of devotees from all over the world throughout the year.

A controversy broke out in September 2024 after Naidu alleged in an NDA meeting that substandard ingredients and animal fats were used for making the consecrated laddus of the temple.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI is probing the matter.