Jagan Reddy writes to PM amid Tirupati laddoos row: ‘Chandrababu Naidu a liar’
YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging action against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for alleging that the YSRCP was involved in adulterating the Tirupati laddoo.
In the letter, the former chief minister said that Naidu’s “reckless” and “politically motivated” statements hurt the sentiments of devotees and “tarnished the sanctity” of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board.
“Lord Venkateshwara has crores of Hindu devotees not just in India but across the globe and if the delicate situation is not handled carefully, these lies could precipitate a widespread agony, having far-reaching consequences on various fronts,” he said in the letter.
He urged PM Modi to “bring the truth to light, restoring the trust and faith of the devotees”.
“This is indeed a lie spread with political motives and this false propaganda has the potential to hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees across the globe,” Reddy said in the letter.
The YSRCP chief said that the TTD was an independent board, which consisted of “strong devotees of eminence from diverse backgrounds” and others recommended by union ministers and chief ministers of other states as well.
“It is noteworthy that some of the current members of the TTD board are also affiliated to the BJP as well. The Board of Trustees is vested with the power to oversee the administration of the TTD and the State Government of Andhra Pradesh has little role in the management of affairs of the Tirumala Venkateswara temple,” he added.
Jagan also stated that extensive compliance checks are in place to test the quality of ghee entering the temple. He said that strict e-tendering process, NABL-accredited lab tests, and the multi-level checks that are conducted before any material is used, highlighting that even during the previous term of the Telugu Desam Party regime, similar measures were in place.
He added that there were several instances in the past when tankers were rejected as the quality of ghee was found to be substandard.
“With such robust procedures and practices in place, it is impossible for adulterated ghee to pass through and be used in the preparations of the prasadam,” Jagan said.
“A responsible Chief Minister should in fact, attempt to bring to the attention of the public the robustness of the checks and balances in place to give them comfort as to sanctity of the functioning of the TTD. The way in which Mr. Naidu acted was in a manner totally devoid of social responsibility,” he added.