'Will consult priests regarding next course of action': Naidu on ‘animal fat in Tirupati laddus’ row

The Andhra Pradesh government will consult priests and ‘top Hinduism experts’ to decide its next course of action in the the Tirupati Balaji temple ‘adulterated prasadam’ controversy, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Saturday.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo's announcement came days after he made a sensational claim, alleging that during the previous government, led by his political rival, YSR Congress Party boss YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, ‘laddus’ with 'animal fat' were offered as ‘prasadam’ at the Sri Venkateswara temple in the state's Tirupati.

While Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the body that runs the temple, has backed Naidu's charge, Reddy dismissed it firmly.

“We are discussing what to do next and how to go forward with respect to the TTD. After deliberating with pontiffs, priests and Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) experts, we will decide on how the ‘samprokshana’ (ritualistic sanitisation) should be done,” an official release quoted the chief minister as saying, PTI reported.

He also noted that ‘many people tried to make better prasadams, but failed.’

“In Ayodhya also, they tried to replicate the Tirumala laddu, but this could not be done. I was told about this by people from there (Ayodhya). The Tirupati laddu is centuries old,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gujarat-based dairy giant Amul lodged a First Information Report (FIR) claiming there was a ‘misinformation campaign’ that the ghee with which the ‘laddus’ were made, was supplied by it.

Separately, in a statement earlier, Amul clarified it has never supplied ghee to TTD.

“We also wish to clarify Amul Ghee is made from milk at our certified and state-of-the-art production facilities. Amul Ghee is India's most trusted ghee brand for more than 50 years and continues to be an integral part of Indian households. This post is being issued to stop the misinformation campaign," the statement read.