SIT chargesheet confirms adulteration of ghee, says TTD chief
Tirupati: The NDA leaders on Friday continued to attack the opposition YSRCP over the alleged adulteration of ghee used in the preparation of the sacred Srivari laddu prasadam at Tirumala. Senior leaders, including TTD chairman B R Naidu, held separate press conferences in Tirupati and strongly rejected YSRCP’s claim that the CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) had given a clean chit stating that no adulteration had taken place. The NDA leaders made it clear that the SIT had, in fact, reported ghee adulteration and that attempts were being made to mislead devotees by spreading false information. They said the issue was not political but related to the faith and sentiments of millions of devotees.
Addressing the media at the Sri Padmavati Rest House in Tirupati, TTD chairman Naidu said devotees were being deceived with claims of a ‘clean chit’ in the adulterated ghee case. He said there was no truth in the statements that ghee used in laddu preparation was pure. According to him, the SIT chargesheet clearly mentioned that adulteration had taken place.
He alleged that serious violations occurred during the ghee procurement tender process. He said tender rules were changed to benefit certain parties and contracts were given to firms that did not have the required production capacity. He claimed that nearly 60 lakh kilograms of adulterated ghee, valued at around Rs 250 crore, was purchased. The TTD chairman said that tests conducted by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) found the presence of animal fat in the ghee. He also expressed concern over the use of dangerous chemicals in the ghee preparation process.
Naidu urged the SIT to conduct a detailed investigation into large money transactions allegedly deposited in certain bank accounts. He demanded that officials identify whether benami accounts were involved and reveal the real beneficiaries.
In a separate press conference, Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (Saap) chairman A Ravi Naidu said devotees consider Srivari laddu prasadam as a divine offering, equal to the Lord himself. He said using adulterated ghee in its preparation was shameful and unacceptable.
Ravi Naidu alleged that ghee was prepared without using milk and was adulterated with animal fat, in violation of standards. He further claimed that substances like acetic acid and lactic acid were used, causing an estimated loss of about Rs 247 crore.He clarified that there was no intention to do politics in the name of God but said they could not remain silent when devotees’ sentiments were hurt. He demanded a thorough investigation, public disclosure of facts and strict legal action against those responsible.
TTD board member G Bhanu Prakash Reddy said the SIT had not given any clean chit and clearly stated that adulteration took place. He accused the YSRCP of misleading people since 2019 by playing with Hindu sentiments. Jana Sena Party Tirupati leader Kiran Royal said the SIT chargesheet clearly mentioned the mixing of animal fat in the ghee. He alleged that YSRCP leaders made TTD employees scapegoats and questioned the role of former leaders in the issue, demanding accountability and atonement for the alleged wrongdoing.
