Rahul Gandhi, the head of the Congress party, voiced worry on Friday regarding rumours that the renowned Tirupati laddu, a holy sacrifice offered at the Sri Venkateshwara temple in Andhra Pradesh, had been adulterated. Gandhi used social media to emphasize the need to uphold the sanctity of religious places and to demand a comprehensive probe into the matter.
“The reports about the defilement of the Prasad at Sri Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati are disturbing,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on X. He also stated, “Lord Balaji is a revered deity for millions of devotees in India and across the world. This issue will hurt every devotee and needs to be thoroughly looked into.”
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu’s comments concerning the laddu’s ingredient quality sparked a controversy. Animal fat and other contaminants were reportedly discovered in the ghee used to make the laddus, according to Naidu, who claimed that the previous YSRCP-led government had failed to uphold quality standards.
Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi demanded a thorough investigation into the claims, while Union Health Minister J P Nadda asked the Andhra Pradesh government to provide a comprehensive report on the issue.
The governing body of the temple, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), announced that laboratory testing had verified the presence of contaminants and lard (pig fat) in the ghee that the contractor had provided. Four different lab reports produced similar results, according to TTD Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao, which prompted the board to stop the contractor in question from receiving supplies and start the process of blacklisting them.