Actor Karthi apologises after Pawan Kalyan blasts him for comment on Tirupati laddu

The Tirupati laddu controversy has escalated, drawing in notable figures from both the film industry and politics. Actor Karthi's remark on this sensitive issue sparked a strong reaction from Pawan Kalyan, prompting the Paruthiveeran actor to apologise to the Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister.

In Short

• Karthi apologised to Pawan Kalyan for laddu comment
• He posted his apology on social media
• Pawan Kalyan criticised Karthi's remarks on Tirupati laddus

Tamil actor Karthi apologised to Pawan Kalyan on social media on Tuesday after the Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister excoriated him for his comments on the Tirupati laddu controversy.

On September 23, Karthi attended an event in Hyderabad during which the anchor presented a few memes, one of which was about laddus. To which he reacted and said, "Ippudu laddu gurinchi maatladakodadu (we should not talk about laddu now), it's a sensitive topic manakoddadi (we don’t want)."

While addressing the media in Vijayawada on September 24, Pawan Kalyan expressed his displeasure over Karthi's comment. He said that if individuals from the film industry wish to discuss the matter, they should either support it or choose not to comment at all.

Pawan also urged people to refrain from commenting on the matter on public platforms, emphasising that it is a matter of significant concern.

Responding to Karthi's remark, he said, "Don’t you ever dare to say that."

Pawan Kalyan is observing an 11-day long prayaschitta diksha, a purification ritual. As Pawan Kalyan arrived at the temple in Vijayawada, he was questioned by the press about Karthi's comments.

Soon after Pawan Kalyan's response went viral, Karthi posted an apology on social media. He wrote, "Dear @PawanKalyan sir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards (sic)."

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu previously accused the usage of substandard ingredients, including fish oil and beef tallow, in the ghee used to prepare Tirupati laddu prasadams during Jagan Mohan Reddy's administration. Lab reports confirmed the presence of these ingredients, leading to the cancellation of contracts with companies supplying ghee to the temple.

The Karnataka government has also ordered all the temples in the state to use only Nandini ghee.