Tirupati Laddu row: CM Naidu attacks Jagan Reddy, orders Santhi Homam Panchagavya Prokshana
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday accused ex-CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of allowing non-sacred activities in the Tirupati Temple during his five-year-long rule.
“During the last 5 years, many not sacred things were done in Tirumala. Many times, even devotees protested against it. The laddu prasad and the food given at Tirumala are made with pure materials and have a special taste. When I was CM, I was called Ramdev Baba and we planted many Ayurvedic plants around the temple,” he added.
Naidu said that a Santhi Homam Panchagavya Prokshana (ritualistic sanitisation) will be held on Monday at the Tirumala Temple.
“From 6 am to 10 am on Monday, Santhi Homam Panchagavya Prokshana will be done at the Bangaru Bavi (golden well) Yagashala (ritual place) in Srivari (Sri Venkateswara) temple,” he added.
He also accused Jagan Mohan Reddy of appointing people close to him as Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board members.
“The trust board appointment was like gambling. The tickets to the temple were sold as per their wish. Once we went to Tirupati and had to protest and get arrested. They appointed their close people as the board members and even gave prominence to non-Hindus. They used TTD for their political gains,” CM Naidu said.
He blamed Reddy for the supply of adulterated ghee for Tirupati Prasadam.
“They (YSRCP) removed all the conditions and opened floodgates such that all amateur suppliers can supply. As a result of this, adulterated ghee was supplied,” he said.
Chandrababu Naidu triggered a political storm by claiming that animal fats were found in the ghee used for preparing the sacred prasad for the Tirupati temple.
Meanwhile, he also announced an SIT probe into the alleged use of animal fats.
“An Inspector General level or above officer-manned SIT will be formed. It will probe all the reasons for the misuse of power and report to the government. The government will take stringent action to avoid recurrences (laddu adulteration), there is no compromise,” he said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi claiming CM Naidu had stooped so low that he hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives.