Atchanna slams YSRCP over ‘drama’on Tirumala laddu

Vijayawada: Launching a fierce attack on the YSRCP in Legislative Council on Tuesday, agriculture minister K Atchannaidu accused the opposition of misleading the House and deliberately staging ‘drama’ by raising irrelevant issues, particularly over the Tirumala laddu controversy.

Atchannaidu asserted that the YSRCP was attempting to create disruption by dragging unrelated matters into the proceedings. He vehemently denied any link between Heritage and the Tirupati laddu issue, criticising the opposition for involving an unrelated organisation in what he described as a politically motivated campaign.

The minister alleged that YSRCP leaders were behaving as though they harboured hostility towards Hindu deities and devotees. He maintained that even “children could identify” those responsible for harming the sanctity of Tirumala. According to him, leaders of the YSRCP and the family of former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had undermined the sacredness of the shrine.

Referring to earlier statements on the alleged adulteration of the Tirupati laddu, Atchannaidu claimed that a close relative of Jagan and his uncle, Y. V. Subba Reddy, who previously served as TTD chairman, had admitted that adulteration had taken place. He said it was “strange and unacceptable” that YSRCP leaders were continuing to defend their position instead of acknowledging the issue.

The minister urged the chairman to direct the opposition to produce concrete evidence if they had any to support their allegations. He further stated that the wider Hindu community was condemning Jagan and his associates over the laddu controversy.

Accusing the YSRCP of deliberately derailing Council proceedings through protests, Atchannaidu called upon people from all sections of society to strongly condemn what he termed the opposition’s anti-tradition stance.