Politics in name of God: Jagan Reddy refutes charges amid Tirupati laddoos row

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has dismissed charges that animal fats and fish oil were present in the laddoos offered to devotees as prasad at Tirupati temple when he was in power. Reddy hit out at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, saying that he was trying to “divert attention” was doing “politics in the name of God”.
Reddy said that a lab report, which has found evidence of animal fat and beef oil in the laddoos, is from July when N Chandrababu Naidu was already Chief Minister. “We got to know that the quality of ghee was bad and immediately informed the Chief Minister, Naidu,” Reddy said before adding that the usual protocol was followed while picking suppliers when his government was in power.
Reddy said, “The tender process occurs every six months, and the qualification criteria has not changed for decades. Suppliers must provide an NABL certificate and a product quality certificate. TTD collects samples from the ghee, and only products that pass certification are used. TDP is politicising religious matters. We have rejected the products in our regime 18 times.”
Jagan Mohan Reddy labelled the current allegations against him and his administration as false and unnecessary, claiming the entire row to be unwarranted.
A massive controversy broke out earlier this week after N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat and other sub-standard ingredients were used for making Tirupati laddoos. Naidu blamed the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government for adulteration in the ghee used to make the laddoos.
On September 20, a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory, NDDB CALF Ltd, also confirmed that ghee (clarified butter) used to make the laddoos, offered to devotees as prasad at Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, contained animal fats and fish oil.
The copy of the report was shared by ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy.
“The lab reports of samples certify that beef tallow and animal fat – lard, and fish oil were used in the preparation of ghee which was supplied to Tirumala and also the S value is only 19.7,” the TDP spokesperson said while speaking on the issue.
Following the controversy, Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and sought a report on the whole matter.