The allegation made by Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu that ghee adulterated with animal fat was used in the making of famous laddu and other prasadams of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumala is snowballing into major political controversy.
In the afternoon on Thursday, senior YSR Congress party leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams chairman Y V Subba Reddy addressed a press conference at Tadepalli and denied the allegations of adulteration, while accusing Naidu of damaging the sanctity of the divine temple Tirumala and the faith of hundreds of crores of Hindus.
Within a couple of hours, TDP leader Anam Venkataramana Reddy addressed a press conference and released the reports of the National Dairy Development Board’s central analysis and learning in livestock and food, which revealed that the ghee was mixed with foreign fat.
It pointed out that the test of the ghee sample revealed the presence of foreign fat comprising soybean, sunflower, olive, rapeseed, linseed, wheat germ, maize germ, cottonseed, fish oil, coconut and palm kernel fat, palm oil, beef tallow, and lard.
In the wake of the controversy, the Vigilance Department on Thursday served notice to YSRCP leader and former TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy over allegations of diverting funds and using adulterated ingredients in prasad and laddu preparation. YV Subba Reddy has requested additional data from the Vigilance Department for his response.
As the national media started highlighting the contents of the report, the YSRCP shot back saying the sample was sent for testing on July 17 and the report was obtained on July 23 – both after Naidu-led TDP came to power. So, Naidu’s attempt to throw mud on the YSRCP backfired, it said.
However, the TDP sources said though the sample testing was done in July, the contractor who supplied the ghee was chosen by the previous government and the stock from which the sample was chosen was supplied during the earlier regime.
So, the controversy continues to boil!
