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 laddu ghee adulteration case by shifting the blame to others.
Addressing a public meeting in Vinukonda, Palnadu district, the Chief Minister claimed that YSRCP leaders had created several obstacles in the Tirupati laddu adulteration investigation and had even approached the Supreme Court.
"To escape from the mistake (of laddu ghee adulteration), they are trying to put it on others. I don't know what to do," said Naidu, while participating in 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.
Calling the issue a "long-standing problem" from the previous YSRCP government, he alleged that adulterated laddus were served between 2019 and 2024.
"Did you eat the laddus then? (Between) 2019 and 2024. Did you notice the fragrance? Did you smell the ghee?" Naidu asked the people.
During an NDA legislative party meeting in the southern state in 2024, Naidu had alleged that the previous regime had not even spared the Sri Venkateswara temple and had used substandard ingredients and animal fats to make laddus, 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 laddus were also adulterated with "chemicals used to clean bathrooms" during the previous YSRCP government.