Tirupati laddu row: Pawan Kalyan calls for Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board

Reacting to the alleged use of animal fat in laddus offered as 'prasadam' at the Tirupati temple during the rule of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday (September 20) said strict action will be taken against the offenders, and called for the constitution of a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ to look into issues concerning temples across the country.

“We are all deeply disturbed with the findings of animal fat (fish oil, pork fat and beef fat) mixed in Tirupathi Balaji Prasad. Many questions to be answered by the TTD board constituted by YCP Govt then. Our Govt is committed to take stringent action possible,” Kalyan wrote in a post on X.

“But this throws light on many issues surrounding desecration of temples, its land issues and other dharmic practices. May be the time has come to constitute a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ at a National level to look into all the issues related to temples in entire Bharath,” he said.

Pawan concluded his post, “A debate has to happen at a National level by all the policy makers, religious heads, judiciary, citizens, media and all others in their respective domains. I think we all should come together to put an end to desecration of ‘Sanathana Dharma’ in any form.”

Congress calls for full-fledged inquiry

The Congress on Friday said if claims of "desecration" of the Tirupati laddu are right, a full-fledged enquiry must identify the guilty, but if they are wrong or motivated, millions of Tirupati devotees will not forgive those playing with their faith.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's claim that animal fat was used in Tirupati laddus during the previous government has triggered a massive political row, with the YSRCP accusing Naidu of indulging in "heinous allegations" for political gains and the TDP circulating a lab report to back its claim.

During an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday (September 18), Naidu claimed that the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government did not even spare the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati and used substandard ingredients and animal fat to make laddus.

In a post on X, the Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, "If the claims of desecration of the Tirupati Laddus are right, of course a full-fledged enquiry must identify the guilty and strictest possible punishment must be meted out BUT, if the claims are wrong or motivated then, millions of devotees of Tirupati will not forgive those playing with their faith. Until then, it suits the BJP to allow polarising conspiracy theories to fly thick in the air in election season," he said.

‘Gujarat lab confirms adulteration in ghee samples’

TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy claimed at a press conference that a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory has confirmed adulteration in ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.

He displayed the purported lab report, which confirmed the presence of "beef tallow", lard, and fish oil in the ghee samples.

The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024, and the lab report was dated July 16.

Reacting to the development, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh noted that the lab report clearly established that beef fat, fish oil, and lard were used to make laddus.

Senior YSRCP leader and another former TTD chairman B Karunakar Reddy charged that Naidu was making sacrilegious allegations over the Tirupati laddus for political mileage.