Health Minister JP Nadda has sought a full report on alleged usage of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus. The senior BJP leader also assured on Friday that the government would examine the matter and take ‘suitable action’.
"I got to know about the issue through social media. I spoke to Chandrababu Naidu today and asked to send the entire report. Once we get the report, it will be examined and suitable action taken," he said.
Nadda has indicated plans to discuss the matter with state regulators and have the FSSAI scrutinise the report in order to take action. Fellow Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also sought a detailed investigation into the matter on Friday — dubbing it a ‘very serious matter’.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister stoked outrage earlier this week after alleging that the previous YSRCP government had used substandard ingredients and animal fat to make the consecrated sweet. The Telugu Desam Party has since circulated a lab report to back the claim.
Party spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy claimed the adulteration had been verified by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory. Data gathered and analysed in July indicated that ghee samples from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple) contained ‘beef tallow’, ‘lard’ and ‘fish oil’.
Members of the YSRCP have vehemently denied the allegations with former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy insisting that the claims were ‘atrocious’.
“The ghee adulteration allegations are atrocious. They are being used to divert attention from 100 days of the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh. The CM is such a person who can use god also for political gains…Only Chandrababu Naidu has mentality to use god for politics,” he alleged.
Temple officials however claimed that there had been apprehensions about the quality of the prasadam under the previous government.
(With inputs from agencies)
