The ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday (September 19) claimed that laboratory reports have detected adulterated oil containing “beef tallow” in the ghee used for making the world-renowned Tirupati prasadam.
This added more fuel to the fire after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of using animal fat for making the consecrated laddus, which are distributed to crores of followers who visit the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala.
This is not the first time questions have been raised on the prasadam distributed at the Tirumala temple. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has, in the past, harshly criticised the alleged severe compromise in its quality.
Over the years, there were no procedures at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) — the board that manages the hill shrine — to test the cheese quality from which ghee is made for the laddus. But, the board has now set up a new sensory perception laboratory, where staff is being trained to carry out quality checks in Mysuru.
Supplying Nandini ghee since regime change, says Karnataka Milk Federation
Amid the raging controversy, the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) said it has supplied Nandini ghee to the TTD only after the regime change in the state and not during the previous government’s tenure. It issued a statement even though Naidu did not mention the federation.
In August 2023, KMF chairman Bheema Naik had alleged that the temple body was procuring low quality ghee. However, the then TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy said the temple body procures cow ghee only from those suppliers who pass the twin tests of uncompromising quality and least cost (L1 bidder) through a rigourous e-tender process, dismissing the allegations.
Moreover, he said KMF, which never qualified as an L1 bidder had supplied ghee only once in the last 20 years, including failing to deliver the consignment on time.
TDP shows ‘lab report’ confirming adulteration
The TDP claimed that the adulteration in the prasadam has been confirmed by Gujarat-based livestock laboratory, NDDB CALF Ltd on the ghee samples. Party spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy in a press conference displayed the purported lab report, which apparently confirmed the presence of “beef tallow” in the given ghee sample.