Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Sees Chaos Over TTD Adulterated Ghee Controversy
Vijayawada witnessed another day of high drama in the legislative council on Thursday as opposition YSRCP members brought proceedings to a standstill. The disruption centered on their persistent demand for an immediate discussion regarding the alleged adulteration of ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
Adjournment Motion Rejection Sparks Immediate Uproar
The uproar commenced shortly after council chairman K Moshenu Raju formally rejected the adjournment motion submitted by YSRCP MLCs. The motion, moved by prominent members including Mondithoka Arun Kumar and Varudu Kalyani, sought to debate the purported connection between Indapur Dairy and Heritage Foods in the supply of substandard ghee to the TTD.
Following the chairman's decision, tensions within the House escalated rapidly. Opposition members stormed the podium, raising loud slogans and creating a chaotic environment that left the chair with little choice but to adjourn the session briefly to restore order.
Government Ministers Express Strong Displeasure and Issue Challenge
Agriculture minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu voiced significant displeasure over what he described as repeated and deliberate interruptions. He accused YSRCP legislators of wasting the House's valuable time, despite the government having provided clear and comprehensive responses on the matter over the preceding three days.
"It is truly unfortunate to have an opposition that does not know the fundamental difference between cheese and ghee," Minister Atchannaidu remarked pointedly during the heated exchanges. He took specific exception to comments made by Botsa Satyanarayana, alleging that the member had displayed a packet of cheese in the House while falsely claiming it was ghee, all while leveling allegations against Heritage Foods.
The minister issued a direct challenge to the opposition, daring YSRCP members to present any concrete, verifiable evidence linking Indapur Dairy with Heritage Foods in the supply chain. He asserted unequivocally that the government remained ready and willing to engage in a detailed discussion on the issue for any length of time, provided such evidence was forthcoming.
Post-Adjournment Media Briefing and Firm Stance
Following the adjournment, Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, accompanied by ministers Kollu Ravindra, Angani Satya Prasad, and Kondapalli Srinivas, addressed the media in the assembly lobby. The ministers presented a united and firm stance, declaring that the government would agree to discuss the adulterated Tirumala laddu ghee issue in the legislative council only after the YSRCP MLCs involved tendered a formal apology for their conduct.
The ministers highlighted that former TTD chairmen Y V Subba Reddy and Bhumana Karunakar Reddy had already admitted to adulteration in the ghee used for the preparation of laddu prasadam. They emphasized that this admission was further corroborated by the findings of the Special Investigation Team and confirmed by official laboratory reports.
Expressing clear anger, the ministers condemned opposition members for claiming in the House that no adulteration had occurred. They characterized these statements as deliberately misleading and contrary to established facts, undermining the seriousness of the issue concerning the sanctity of temple offerings.
The standoff reflects the deepening political tensions in Andhra Pradesh, with a sensitive issue related to religious institutions becoming a focal point for legislative confrontation and public accountability debates.
