Political storm brews over Tirumala temple: Twin scandals stir faith & fury

Hyderabad: When Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu last September accused the previous YSRCP government of using animal fat-laced ghee in the sacred Tirumala laddus, they were explosive allegations.

The Tirumala laddus are no ordinary sweets. They are seen as a divine blessing from Lord Venkateswara — a symbol of faith for over 2.5 crore pilgrims who visit the hill shrine every year.

So, when Naidu accused the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administration under the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government of tarnishing this offering, it shook not just the political circles but also the spiritual beliefs of crores.

The YSRCP response was quick: Its leaders called the charge an insult to faith and a calculated act of political blasphemy. However, Naidu stood his ground, claiming laboratory tests indicated traces of animal-origin fat in the ghee supplied to Tirumala kitchens between 2019 and 2024.

What began as a political slugfest soon reached the Supreme Court, which in October 2024 ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the claims. The panel consisted of two CBI officials, two state police officers, and a member of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Probe findings

Months later, the SIT’s findings sent shockwaves through AP. According to a remand report filed in a local court, the companies that supplied ghee to the TTD during the YSRCP tenure never procured any milk during the entire period. Yet, they delivered more than 60 lakh kg “ghee”, worth nearly Rs 250 crore.

Investigators said one company, based near Roorkee in Uttarakhand, allegedly manufactured ghee using a mix of palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palmolein, blended with beta-carotene and synthetic flavouring to mimic aroma and texture. The report further claimed the counterfeit ghee reached Tirumala through various intermediaries and was used not just for laddus but also for other temple offerings.

The findings ignited a fierce political storm. The TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance labelled it “one of the biggest acts of sacrilege” in the state’s history. YSRCP leaders, however, insist that the controversy was nothing more than a political stunt.

Former minister Vellampalli Srinivas accused the ruling alliance of “dragging God into politics” to distract from administrative shortcomings. He argued that the SIT report was not officially released, but only selected parts were leaked to malign Jagan. He added that the YSRCP government actually paid higher prices for ghee — Rs 319 per kg — as compared to Naidu’s previous term, implying that quality, not cost-cutting, guided purchases.

YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy went further, accusing Naidu of misleading the media and public for political gain. He said former TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy had already blacklisted a company after quality issues were detected.

Parakamani theft

Running parallel is an equally sensational case — the alleged Parakamani theft. The Parakamani is the temple’s most crucial operation: the counting and segregation of devotees’ offerings, from gold and silver to cash and foreign currency, which takes place in the New Parakamani Complex atop the hill under tight security and strict supervision.

On April 29, 2023, a staff member from the Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt, C V Ravi Kumar, was caught stealing Rs 72,000 in dollars from the Parakamani. The money was recovered, and a complaint was filed the next day. Yet, the case was swiftly settled through the Lok Adalat, a decision now under scrutiny after the TTD's then assistant vigilance and security officer Y Satish Kumar’s death earlier this month.

The AP High Court directed the CID to reopen the case and launch a probe. Meanwhile, TTD board member G Bhanu Prakash Reddy claimed over Rs 100 crore was stolen from the Parakamani during the YSRCP’s tenure.

A TTD vigilance report revealed intriguing details about Ravi Kumar's financial dealings. His and his wife’s immovable properties, including land and buildings in Tirupati and Chennai, were donated to the TTD. Most remarkably, he donated 14 apartments, worth crores in the open market, to the TTD.

Other considerations

At the heart of both matters lies one of Hinduism’s holiest sites, the Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple, widely regarded as “Kaliyuga Vaikuntha”, the Earthly abode of Lord Vishnu in this age. And the ruling coalition appears to have latched onto it to target the YSRCP.

"The YSRCP was caught with its pants down. Both probes were ordered by courts. Where is the politics in it?” asked TDP spokesperson and AP State Biodiversity Board Chairman Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar in conversation with DH. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan described the alleged adulteration as “an unforgivable breach of trust”.

Political analyst Telakapalli Ravi called Tirupati “the new gateway of religious politics in the South”. In his view, while probing the matters was essential, communal polarisation must be prevented.

“Parties framing this as Jagan’s ‘Christian’ regime hurting Hindu sentiments is unwarranted,” he told DH. “Civil society, religious institutions, and the judiciary must ensure political mudslinging doesn’t overshadow the sanctity of the investigation.”