Tirumala ghee row: Ex TTD chairman Subba Reddy urges SIT to conduct comprehensive probe

Hyderabad: YSRCP Parliamentary Party Leader and former TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy condemned TDP’s ongoing political campaign against the sacred Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple.

Talking to reporters on Thursday he said that the holy shrine is being intentionally dragged into politics through a sustained misinformation drive targeting the laddu prasadam, even as the SIT investigation is still underway.

False leaks and fabricated narratives, he said, are being pushed to damage the temple’s global reputation. He urged SIT to conduct a comprehensive investigation from the year 2014 and not just limit it to the 2019-2024 period.

He also pointed out that after alleging adulteration, the TDP government purchased ghee at Rs. 475/kg in September 2024 , which, by their own logic, should also be suspect. While TDP accuses YSRCP of buying ghee at Rs. 326/kg, TDP itself purchased at Rs. 276, Rs. 279, and Rs. 295/kg earlier. If price implies adulteration, TDP’s purchases must also be questioned, he said.

Subba Reddy recalled his service as MP and two-term TTD Chairman, during which he consistently worked to uphold the temple’s sanctity. Yet, he is being targeted only because of his proximity to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. TDP and its supporting media are deliberately linking the laddu issue to him for political gain.

He reminded that it was Chandrababu Naidu, as Chief Minister, who earlier alleged use of animal fat in laddus, a baseless claim that compelled Subba Reddy to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court to safeguard the temple’s prestige. He asked why he would approach the Supreme Court if he had anything to hide.

Subba Reddy asserted that TDP’s allegations lack basic clarity that there is no confirmation whether vegetable fat or animal fat was involved, nor whether the questioned tankers even entered the laddu production line. With TTD’s mandatory lab checks, no substandard ghee can enter production; tankers were rejected both during TDP’s tenure and his own. The tankers now under suspicion came in June–July 2024, when Chandrababu Naidu was in power, and SIT confirmed they were rejected and later rerouted in August, again under TDP rule. If adulteration occurred, responsibility lies entirely with the then government, he said.

Subba Reddy noted that the same lab functioned under both governments, but it was strengthened during his leadership with NDDB-supported equipment worth Rs 80 lakh.

Claims that 20 crore laddus from 2019–24 used adulterated ghee were described as disgraceful and politically motivated. He clarified that TTD’s ghee procurement involves multiple suppliers every six months; no single company ever supplies the entire quantity. The company whose tankers were rejected in June–July 2024 supplied to TTD for the first time.

“While TDP accuses YSRCP of buying ghee at Rs. 326/kg, TDP itself purchased at Rs. 276, Rs. 279, and Rs. 295/kg earlier. If price implies adulteration, TDP’s purchases must also be questioned. He urged SIT to conduct a comprehensive 10-year investigation instead of a selective probe. After alleging adulteration, the TDP government purchased ghee at Rs. 475/kg in September 2024 , which, by their own logic, should also be suspect,” he said.

Subba Reddy reaffirmed that he never sought financial benefit from TTD despite handling tenders worth hundreds of crores.