Vinukonda (Andhra Pradesh), February 21 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused YSRCP leaders on Saturday of "attempting to deflect" responsibility in the alleged Tirupati laddoo ghee adulteration case by shifting the blame to others.
Addressing a public meeting in Vinukonda in the Palnadu district, the Chief Minister claimed that YSRCP leaders had created several obstacles in the Tirupati laddoo adulteration case investigation and had even approached the Supreme Court.
"To escape from the mistake (of adulterating the laddoo ghee), they are trying to put it on others. I don't know what to do," said Naidu, while speaking at a Swarna Andhra Swach Andhra programme.
According to the CM, the SIT, led by the CBI, found that the substance supplied as ghee to the TTD, which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati, was not pure ghee at all.
Calling the issue a "long-standing problem" from the previous YSRCP government, he alleged that adulterated laddoo were served between 2019 and 2024.
"Did you eat the laddoo then? (Between) 2019 and 2024? Did you notice the fragrance? Did you smell the ghee?" Naidu asked the people.
Emphasising that nobody has the authority to undermine the sanctity of any place of worship, he said that responsibility should be taken to protect it.
Therefore, he said that his second signature after returning to power in 2024 was to appoint Shyamala Rao as the executive officer of TTD and initiate the temple body’s "sanitization", especially after what he termed as an act of "sacrilege".
Further, he said that ghee samples were sent to the National Dairy Development Board, which had "confirmed the presence of animal fat".
According to him, despite establishing that sacrilege had been committed and corruption had taken place, YSRCP leaders were attempting to link Heritage Foods, a dairy company owned by the CM's family, to the laddoo adulteration case in order to implicate him.
During an NDA legislative party meeting in the southern state in 2024, Naidu had alleged that the previous regime had even spared the Sri Venkateswara temple and had used substandard ingredients and animal fats for making laddoo, which are revered and sought after by crores of devotees.
The allegations sparked a massive controversy across the country, hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus, leading to the Supreme Court-appointed SIT, which has completed its investigation.
After sticking to the animal fat adulteration theory for a long time, Naidu suddenly recently alleged that Tirupati laddoo were also adulterated with "chemicals used to clean bathrooms" during the previous YSRCP government.
As part of the Swarna Andhra Swach Andhra programme, Naidu said that the government is creating income-generating opportunities to improve the livelihoods of the poor.
He said that when he assumed office, about 108 lakh tonnes of waste had accumulated in the state. By next month, 100 percent door-to-door waste collection will be achieved in all panchayats.
Naidu noted that waste-to-energy plants worth Rs 1,254 crore under the PPP mode in Rajahmundry, Kurnool, Kadapa, and Nellore will become operational by March 15.
Waste-to-energy plants are already functioning in Visakhapatnam and Guntur, and soon we will set up five more plants, including one in Rajahmundry, to generate electricity from waste, he added.
