Pawan Kalyan reaches Tirupati temple on foot as penance amid Andhra Pradesh laddu row

Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday reached Tirumala on foot as part of his 11-day penance over the alleged adulteration of laddus or laddoos served at the Tirupati temple with animal fat.

The actor-turned-politician undertook a three-hour foot march to the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala to position himself as a protector of the Sanatana Dharma.

“This is not just about one prasad issue (adulteration in laddus). Maybe it came out. Maybe this was a triggering point to initiate this,” Kalyan told reporters before leaving for Tirumala.

“Prayaschitta Deeksha (penance) is a commitment to take forward Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) protection. (It) is very essential. That is the order of the day,” he added.

The JanaSena party chief claims that the temple was desecrated continuously under the previous YSRCP government, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy. He said that these alleged desecrations should be addressed at a different level, and a national debate on this issue needs to be held.

Pawan Kalyan said his penance has entered the 10th day and after renouncing it on Thursday, a declaration would be released. Kalyan is calling for a permanent mechanism to address these issues, and they will unveil a roadmap for it on Wednesday.

Kalyan will return from Tirumala to Vijayawada on Thursday evening.

Tirupati Temple Laddoo Row

The issue blew up after claims that the ghee used in the making of the Tirupati laddoos contained animal fa. Following the allegations, the Deputy Chief Minister has been on the warpath claiming that this happened during the previous regime. Championing the cause, he has also lashed out at politicians, actors, and other public figures who have spoken lightly of the issue.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had initially announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, and if there were any irregularities in the Tirupati temple body.

However, the investigation was stalled after the Supreme Court asked the Centre who should be handling the probe.

The Chief Minister had said he would “clean up” the system, alleging that the irregularities had crept in during the rule of the YSRCP government’s tenure. “Many not-so-sacred things were done at Tirumala” over the last five years, he had said.

Highlighting that lab reports on alleged adulterated ghee were ‘not clear at all’ and prima facie indicated that ‘rejected ghee’ was subjected to tests, the apex court observed that Gods must be kept away from politics, and also questioned Naidu’s claims on animal fats being used during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime to make Tirupati laddus.

Chandrababu Naidu’s Allegations

During a recent NDA legislative party meeting in the southern state, Naidu had alleged that the erstwhile YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fats for making laddus, which are revered and sought after by crores of devotees.

The controversy started when Chandrababu Naidu alleged at an NDA Legislators meeting on September 18 that animal fat was used in making the prasad.

The next day, a lab report revealed that samples of ghee used in the preparation of the laddoos contained fish oil, beef tallow, and lard.