Vinukonda (Andhra Pradesh), February 21 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday accused YSRCP leaders 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 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 on the sidelines of the "Swarna Andhra Swach Andhra" programme, referring to the opposition party leaders.
According to the CM, the CBI-led SIT 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.
Referring to the issue as a "long-standing problem" from the previous YSRCP government, he alleged that adulterated laddoos were served between 2019 and 2024.
"Did you eat the laddoo then? (Between) 2019 and 2024. Did you get the fragrance (while eating)? Did you get the ghee smell?" Naidu asked people.
During an NDA legislative party meeting in the southern state in 2024, Naidu had alleged that the previous regime did not even spare the Sri Venkateswara temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fats for making laddoos, 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.
Besides animal fats, Naidu recently alleged that Tirupati laddoos were also adulterated with "chemicals used to clean bathrooms" during the previous YSRCP government.