Amaravati, Feb 24 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday claimed that over 20 crore Tirupati laddus were made with adulterated ghee and sold during the YSRCP rule.
He claimed that between 2019 and 2024, 59.71 lakh litres of adulterated ghee were supplied to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), and Rs. 234 crore were spent on this.
Replying to the debate in the State Assembly on the Tirupati laddu adulteration, he said 20.01 crore laddus were made with adulterated ghee and sold to devotees.
He alleged that a syndicate was formed to produce adulterated ghee and supply it to TTD, in violation of all norms and by bypassing the laboratories for testing quality.
He clarified that after the coalition government came to power, he cited the NDDB report on ghee adulteration.
The Chief Minister said that after the issue came to the government’s notice, it was decided to constitute the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
“They challenged this, too, and went to the Supreme Court. The court said that there should be no political involvement in this and that an SIT should be formed and an investigation should be conducted under the auspices of the CBI,” he said.
Chandrababu Naidu revealed that the CBI submitted a report to the state government for action against the guilty officials. They suggested some rectification in the TTD.
The Chief Minister said the government had formed a one-man committee to take action in accordance with the SIT report. He noted that the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition filed by Subramanian Swamy against the one-member committee.
He alleged that the tender rules were changed between January and February 2020 as part of the adulteration conspiracy.
He claimed that, even though the CFTRI issued its report on ghee adulteration in 2022, the then TTD chairman suppressed it. The rules were thrown to the wind to give ghee supply contracts to unqualified companies.
CM Naidu said that then TTD Chairman Subbareddy’s personal assistant Chinnappanna, took a bribe of Rs 4.5 crore.
“It was found that various types of chemicals were used to make adulterated ghee. They even lured the technical experts of TTD with expensive phones and opened the gates for adulterated ghee,” he said.
The Chief Minister claimed that SIT also seized drums of monoglyceride and acetic acid from the dairy and uncovered details of a bribe. The SIT has also framed charges against the accused involved in this conspiracy, and cases have been registered under various sections.
He alleged that the wrongdoers are now trying to hide their crime.
Naidu alleged a conspiracy to tarnish the sanctity of Sri Venkateswara Swamy. He also referred to the alleged proselytisation, noting that the Jerusalem yatra was printed on RTC bus tickets to Tirumala.
He claimed that there were pre-planned attacks on the Hindu faith during the YSRCP rule. A total of 2032 temples were attacked, and idols were vandalised. No case was filed, and no proper investigation was done.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said the guilty in ghee adulteration should be punished, no matter who they are. He said that, as the matter relates to faith, there should be appropriate action against those involved.
He said the NDDB report had revealed that chemicals used in animal fat processing were used in the ghee. He also pointed out that the CBI, in its report, made it clear that no ghee was used to make laddus.
–IANS
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