Jagan Reddy To Visit Tirumala Temple This Week Amid Ladoo Row

According to a communication from party sources, Mr Reddy is expected to arrive at Tirumala on September 27 and stay there overnight.

Amaravati:

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala Hills and offer prayers on September 28, as part of the statewide temple rituals called by the party to atone for the 'sin' allegedly committed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu through his allegations on Tirupati laddus.

According to a communication from party sources, Mr Reddy is expected to arrive at Tirumala on September 27 and stay there overnight.

"YSRCP President and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. He is expected to arrive in Tirumala on the night of Friday, September 27, and will offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara the following day, September 28," it said.

Jagan called on people to take part in temple rituals (pooja) across Andhra Pradesh on September 28 to atone for the sin allegedly committed by Naidu, ruling TDP supremo, through his allegations on Tirupati laddus.

"YSRCP is calling for statewide rituals in temples to sanitise (undo) this sin committed by Chandrababu on Saturday, September 28," said the former CM in a post on X.

Mr Reddy's appeal comes days after Naidu alleged during that the previous YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirupati and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making laddus.

The allegations sparked a massive controversy across the country.

According to the opposition leader, Mr Naidu alleged that animal fat was mixed with ghee used to make laddu prasadam in Tirupati temple with a 'political motive'.

"Though animal fat adulteration did not occur, he intentionally lied that it happened and falsely propagated that devotees ate them," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has embarked on an 11-day penance to propitiate the deity over the alleged sacrilege.

Responding to Mr Reddy's announcement, the BJP's state unit demanded that he declare his faith before entering the hill shrine.

"We are given to understand that Jagan Mohan Reddy intends to visit Tirumala on the 28th of this month. The practice of declaring one's faith has been in vogue for decades in Tirumala. As per G.O. MS NO- 311 of AP Revenue Endowments--1, Rule no 16, Non Hindus must give a declaration at Vaikuntam que (sic) complex before darshan in the faith form."

"This is also as per TTD general regulations Rule 136," Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari said in a post on 'X.' "BJP demands that even before Jagan Mohan Reddy begins mounting (sic) Tirumala, he should give the declaration of his faith at the Garuda statue itself at Alipiri," she demanded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)