Political Firestorm Erupts in Tirupati Over TTD Ghee Adulteration Chargesheet
A major political confrontation has unfolded in the sacred temple town of Tirupati, with ruling NDA coalition parties and the opposition YSRCP engaging in a bitter war of words. The controversy centers on a recent CBI chargesheet that revealed details about adulterated ghee supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams between 2022 and 2024.
YSRCP Leader Performs Ritual, Demands CM's Apology
Former TTD trust board chairman and senior YSRCP leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy took a dramatic step on Friday by conducting a special religious ceremony called 'Srinivasa Prasada Ninda Parihara Homam' at his office premises in Tirupati. This ritual was performed specifically to annul what he described as the disgrace caused to Lord Venkateswara's sacred laddu prasadam.
Reddy launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of causing irreparable damage to the hill shrine and deeply hurting the sentiments of millions of devotees worldwide. The YSRCP leader characterized Naidu's statements about the presence of animal fats in the ghee used during the previous regime as "casual and thoughtless".
Labeling the Chief Minister's claims as "malicious", Bhumana Karunakar Reddy demanded an unconditional public apology from Naidu for what he called misleading statements that have wounded religious sentiments across the globe.
NDA Leaders Counterattack with CBI Findings
Responding forcefully to the allegations, TTD chairman BR Naidu accused the YSRCP of attempting to cover up the ghee adulteration scandal that has been exposed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in its detailed chargesheet.
The TTD chairman presented startling figures from the investigation, stating: "The CBI chargesheet makes it unequivocally clear that 68 lakh kilograms of synthetic fake ghee worth approximately Rs 250 crore was supplied to TTD during the YSRCP regime. Over 20 crore laddus made using this adulterated ghee were distributed to devotees, which constitutes a grave religious transgression."
Naidu further alleged that this was not merely an administrative lapse but a "commission-driven scam that directly assaulted the faith of crores of devotees" who visit the temple with pure devotion.
BJP Spokesperson Cites SIT Report Details
Adding another dimension to the controversy, TTD trust board member and BJP spokesperson G Bhanuprakash Reddy referenced the Special Investigation Team report that forms part of the broader investigation.
The BJP leader made a significant technical clarification, noting: "The SIT report explicitly states that the final product in question cannot be classified as ghee at all. Investigations revealed that the supplier did not procure a single drop of milk from any dairy farmer during the entire supply period."
Bhanuprakash Reddy emphasized that "in its entire chargesheet, the SIT does not mention the product as 'ghee' anywhere", suggesting that what was supplied was a completely synthetic substance rather than adulterated ghee. He characterized these findings as "a tight slap in the face of the erstwhile trust board" that approved procurement of this synthetic product instead of pure ghee.
The BJP spokesperson accused YSRCP leaders of trying to mislead the public by drawing their own inferences from the SIT report rather than accepting its clear findings about the nature of the supplied product.
Religious Sentiments and Political Accountability
This controversy has transcended ordinary political sparring to touch upon deeply held religious sentiments. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is not just an administrative body but a sacred institution that commands reverence from millions of Hindus worldwide.
The allegations and counter-allegations have created a complex situation where:
- Political accountability intersects with religious sanctity
- Administrative failures potentially compromise ritual purity
- Public trust in temple management faces serious questions
- Devotional practices become entangled in political controversies
As the war of words intensifies, the focus remains on how this sensitive matter will be resolved while maintaining the sanctity of one of India's most revered pilgrimage sites and addressing the legitimate concerns of devotees who feel their faith has been compromised.
