TTD chief dismisses YSRCP’s ‘clean chit’ claim firmly
TTD chairman says SIT chargesheet confirms ghee adulteration under YSRCP rule, firmly rejecting claims that the previous government received any clean chit in the case
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B R Naidu on Friday launched a sharp and emotionally charged attack on the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), alleging that a “massive ghee adulteration
Addressing a press conference in Tirupati, Naidu said the alleged adulteration in the ghee used for preparing the sacred Srivari laddu prasadam was not merely an administrative lapse but a grave act of sacrilege. He described it as an “insult to Hindus” and accused the previous regime of allowing commercial greed to override religious faith and public health.
According to the TTD chairman, nearly 60 lakh kilograms of adulterated ghee, worth around ₹250 crore, was supplied to the temple trust during the YSRCP government’s tenure. He said the scale of the alleged scam and its implications were unprecedented in the history of Tirumala.
Referring to the CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) chargesheet recently filed in the Nellore ACB Court, Naidu said it clearly established evidence of sacrilege, financial loot, and betrayal of devotees’ faith. The SIT chargesheet nails the sacrilege, loot of TTD, and betrayal of crores of devotees,” he said.
Calling the episode a “huge commission-based scam,” Naidu alleged that tenders for supplying ghee were deliberately awarded to companies that had neither cattle nor milk production infrastructure. “Companies with no cows, no production facilities, and no capacity to manufacture pure ghee were given contracts purely for commissions,” he alleged, accusing the previous government of systematically manipulating the tender process.
According to Naidu, eligibility conditions for ghee procurement were altered during the YSRCP regime to favour ineligible and incapable firms. He claimed that established dairy norms were diluted, opening the door for suppliers who allegedly had no genuine ability to produce pure ghee.
Backing his claims, the TTD chairman cited tests conducted by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which, he said, confirmed the presence of animal fat in the ghee supplied to TTD during the previous government’s tenure. Using this allegedly adulterated ghee, Naidu said around 20 crore laddus were prepared and distributed to devotees.
“This was not negligence. This was a deliberate, commission-driven scam that directly assaulted the faith of crores of Hindu devotees.”
Expressing grave concern over public health implications, Naidu warned that certain chemicals found in the adulterated ghee were highly dangerous. He stressed that falsely claiming ghee production capacity without owning even a single cow amounted to outright fraud.
“Those responsible must unconditionally apologise to the Hindu community,” he demanded, adding that accountability was non-negotiable when matters of faith and public trust were involved.
Rejecting YSRCP leaders’ claims that the previous government had received a “clean chit” following the filing of the SIT’s final chargesheet, Naidu dismissed such assertions as propaganda. He insisted that advanced micro-DNA testing was essential to establish the complete truth behind the laddu ghee adulteration case.
He also urged the SIT to widen the probe by examining alleged multi-crore bank transactions and identifying benami accounts to expose the real beneficiaries of the scam. “Only then will the full picture emerge,” he said, stressing that there should be no dilution in the investigation.
The SIT’s final chargesheet, filed recently in the Nellore ACB Court, named 36 accused, including nine TTD officials, five dairy experts, and others allegedly involved in the scam. According to the chargesheet, dairy experts are accused of colluding with ghee manufacturers, and investigators observed that the material supplied to TTD as ghee was not ghee at all, but chemically processed palmolein oil mixed with other ingredients.
The controversy had earlier escalated in September 2024, when Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous YSRCP regime, triggering a major political storm in Andhra Pradesh. Addressing an NDA legislative party meeting that year, Naidu had alleged that the former government did not even spare the Sri Venkateswara temple and allowed substandard ingredients and animal fats to be used in the revered prasadam.
With emotions running high and faith deeply intertwined with the issue, the allegations have not only intensified political tensions but also raised serious questions about governance, accountability, and the safeguarding of religious institutions. As investigations continue, devotees and the wider public await clarity, justice, and assurances that such an episode will never be repeated at one of Hinduism’s most sacred shrines.