Tirupati laddoo row: Chandrababu Naidu calls for review of temple food offerings

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has called for a review of the food offerings at the Tirumala temple, amid concerns over the quality of the Tirupati laddoos.

In Short

• Naidu calls for reassessment of Tirupati temple food offerings
• NDDB CALF lab confirms foreign fats in ghee used for laddoos
• Pawan Kalyan calls for Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board

Amid the row over the presence of animal fat in Tirupati laddoos, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has called for a reassessment of the temple’s food offerings.

"I urge all the people of the state to remember that NT Rama Rao initiated the practice of offering food at Tirumala," Naidu said, referring to the late leader’s legacy.

He expressed dismay over recent complaints, stating, "The quality of food being served has deteriorated. The raw materials used are of substandard quality, and impure ingredients are being used in one of the holiest temples."

Naidu assured devotees that the process has been "streamlined" to address these issues, urging that "a proper system should be established" and that food offerings be treated as a sacred act.

Trirupati Laddoos Contains Beef Fat, Fish Oil: Lab Report

A recent report by NDDB CALF, a private laboratory specialising in testing animal feed, milk, and dairy products, has revealed the presence of foreign fats in the ghee used for making Tirupati laddoos. The analysis detected adulterants such as palm oil, fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (derived from pig fat). The findings were shared with the public by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy, raising concerns over the sanctity of the offerings made at the renowned Tirumala temple.

"The lab reports of samples certify that beef tallow and animal fat - lard, and fish oil were used in the preparation of ghee which was supplied to Tirumala and also the S value is only 19.7," said Reddy.

Pawan Kalyan Calls For Formation Of ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday called for the formation of a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ at the national level. The proposed board would address issues related to temples across the country.

By calling everyone to join in to put an end to the desecration of ‘Sanathana Dharma’, Kalyan on his official X handle writes, "A debate has to happen at a National level by all the policymakers, religious heads, judiciary, citizens, media and all others in their respective domains."

The deputy chief minister stated that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TDD) board, which was constituted by Jagan Mohan Reddy's Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress party, needs to answer various questions on how the adulterated non-vegetarian ghee was used to cook Tirupati laddoos.