Tirumala Laddu Row: Jagan Reddy Calls For Statewide Pooja
The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Jagan Mohan Reddy has called on devotees to take part in special pooja across Andhra Pradesh this Saturday, September 28. The pooja is intended to “atone for the sin” and restore the sanctity of the Tirumala Tirupati Temple, which he claims was tarnished by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu‘s allegations that animal fat was used in the preparation of laddus at the sacred site.
Reddy took to X to urge the public to stand against what he described as false claims spread by Naidu.
“The sanctity of Tirumala, the significance of Swami’s prasadam, the glory of Lord Venkateswara, the reputation of TTD, and the sacredness of the laddu prasadam have all been defiled by Chandrababu Naidu. With political malice, he deliberately spread lies that the prasadam was adulterated with animal fat, causing devotees to believe they had consumed tainted offerings,” Jagan Reddy said in a post on X.
“YSRCP is calling for statewide rituals in temples to sanitise this sin committed by Chandrababu on Saturday, September 28,” he added.
He further stressed that the alleged misinformation, driven by political motives, has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of devotees.
Earlier this month, Reddy had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, urging him to take action against the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, a key BJP ally at the Centre.
In the eight-page letter addressed to PM Modi, Jagan alleged that CM Naidu has stooped so low as to hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives.
A controversy arose after Naidu alleged that animal fat had been used to adulterate the sacred laddu prasadam offered at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. According to the YSRCP chief, this claim misled devotees and tarnished the reverred image of Lord Venkateswara and the temple’s longstanding traditions.
Following the claims, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged adulteration in the prasadam.
“We are forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising officers of IGP and above ranks. The SIT will submit a report to the government, and we will act on that report to ensure such incidents are not repeated. I am addressing three aspects: first, purification according to tradition; second, ordering an inquiry at the IGP level; and third, ensuring only believers are part of the management committee. Finally, we will establish standard operating procedures for all temples,” Naidu said earlier.
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