Tirumala laddu row | One man committee to review CBI's report; no clean chit to YSRCP

Hyderabad: Leaders of the NDA alliance in Andhra Pradesh led by chief minster N Chandrababu Naidu and deputy Chief minister, Pawan Kalyan said that the alleged adulteration of Tirumala laddu prasadam is a grave offence against devotees’ faith and asserted that no report has given a clean chit to YSRCP in the matter.

As the CBI SIT's final chargesheet had sparked a political storm in Andhra Pradesh, leaders of the NDA alliance in Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, BJP State President PVN Madhav, along with other cabinet ministers, including IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Thursday held a closed door meeting to discuss a way ahead.

Talking to reporters after the meeting Naidu said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted a report, directing the government to initiate administrative action against the concerned individuals. The Chief Minister further said that, based on the CBI's communication, the government has constituted a one-man committee to conduct a comprehensive examination of the report, identify lapses, and fix responsibility. He said that once the committee completes its review, the government will initiate appropriate action in accordance with the findings.

“Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy is the family deity of my household,” he said, alleging that sacrilege of the Lord’s prasadam took place during the previous YSRCP regime.

Recalling his long association with Tirumala, the Chief Minister said the Pranadanam programme was launched at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in 2003 and that he survived a claymore mine attack involving 23 mines purely by the grace of the Lord. “That was a rebirth granted to me by Lord Venkateswara,” he said.

The Chief Minister alleged that despite clear warnings from Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in 2022 about adulteration, the report was suppressed and no action was taken. After assuming office, as part of a comprehensive clean-up, his government collected laddu samples and sent them to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for testing.

Referring to the SIT and laboratory reports, he said ghee was prepared using chemicals and palm oil, and other adulterants calling it a grave wrongdoing and an unforgivable sin. He alleged that lakhs of devotees were given adulterated laddus over the last five years, causing fear and mental distress.

Rejecting claims of a clean chit, the Chief Minister clarified that the CBI report does not certify anywhere that there was no adulteration, and said that the accused are spreading false narratives and launching counterattacks to divert attention. He warned that intimidation and rowdyism would not succeed and asserted that strict punishment would be ensured for the guilty.

The Chief Minister said that, based on the CBI's communication, the government has constituted a one-man committee to conduct a comprehensive examination of the report, identify lapses, and fix responsibility. He said that once the committee completes its review, the government will initiate appropriate action in accordance with the findings. He further said that based on the CBI’s communication, the government has constituted a one-man committee to examine the report comprehensively, identify lapses, fix responsibility, and recommend follow-up action.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said the government speaks with responsibility and caution on sensitive issues of faith. “No report has given a clean chit so far. Allegations involving animal fat are extremely sensitive and cannot be spoken about lightly,” he said, adding that the government spoke only after examining evidence which was found in the NDDB CALF test report.

He said the issue concerns Hindu faith and sentiments, and accused the opposition of attacking the government and spreading false propaganda instead of apologising if mistakes were committed. He warned that those who tamper with matters of faith and God would ultimately face severe consequences in life.

Andhra Pradesh BJP State President PVN Madhav slammed YSRCP and said the Tirumala laddu issue reflected “adulterated thinking and corrupt governance” of the previous regime. The NDA leaders reiterated that protecting the sanctity of Lord Venkateswara and Tirumala is a collective responsibility, and made it clear that there is no clean chit for YSRCP in the Tirumala laddu adulteration case.