Amid Laddus Row, Jagan Reddy Cancels Tirumala Temple Trip, Points Finger At Naidu For Politicising Hinduism

Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, himself at the heart of a controversy that led to the cancellation of his planned visit to the Tirumala temple. This development came after the police issued notices to him and other members of his party. The controversy stems from allegations concerning the use of animal fat in the laddus offered as "Prasadam" at the temple. Reddy, in response, held a press conference where he vehemently criticized current chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for exploiting Hinduism for political ends.

During the press conference, Reddy highlighted the history of ghee testing at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), emphasizing that a rigorous quality control process was always in place. This process involved three rounds of testing, and any ghee found to be of substandard quality was promptly rejected. He pointed out that this practice was consistent across different administrations, including his own. Reddy also shared that in July of the current year, ghee tankers were rejected after being found adulterated. Further underscoring his point, he played a video of the TTD Executive Officer confirming that the questioned ghee was adulterated with vegetable fat, not animal ghee, and hence was never used in the preparation of laddus.

"This is the first time in history that someone has been barred from visiting a temple," Reddy remarked, showcasing the notices directed to his party members. He explained that these notices warned against any participation in the Tirumala programs by YSRCP members, under threat of legal action. Reddy criticized the government for attempting to hinder his visit to the Tirumala temple by issuing notices to YSRCP leaders across the state, declaring the visit and any organized program by the YSRCP as unauthorized.

Reddy also responded to allegations made by Naidu regarding the use of animal fat in ghee, stating that since his administration took over, several ghee consignments had been rejected due to quality concerns, similar to rejections during Naidu's time from 2014 to 2019. He clarified that the prices of ghee have also been consistent, questioning the basis of the allegations. Reddy emphasized, "What I'm saying is all based on facts."

In his heartfelt address, Reddy shared his personal commitment to secularism and humanity, recounting his pilgrimage to Lord Venkateswara after a long padayatra. He questioned the basis on which his religion was being interrogated, suggesting that such scrutiny defied the essence of secularism. He criticized the BJP for not defending the sanctity of Hinduism and the temple from false allegations. Reddy concluded by urging those who claim to support Hinduism to reflect on their actions, asserting, "Hinduism is about showing humanity."