Amaravati, February 24 Senior YSRCP leader and two-time TTD chairman B Karunakar Reddy alleged on Tuesday that the TDP-led NDA government's discussion on the Tirupati laddus adulteration case in the state Assembly was conducted to "protect the business interests of Heritage Foods" and divert attention from key questions.
However, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose family owns Heritage, a dairy company, told the Assembly that their company is engaged in transparent business and has never indulged in fraudulent activities.
Naidu also gave a detailed presentation on the alleged Rs 235-crore Tirupati laddus ghee adulteration case, involving the supply of nearly 60 lakh kg of fake ghee "during the erstwhile YSRCP government".
"The Assembly discussion on the Tirumala Laddu issue was conducted only to protect the business interests of Heritage and to divert attention from key questions," Karunakar Reddy said in a YSRCP press release.
According to the opposition leader, the debate was aimed at boosting falling Heritage share value and politically targeting YSRCP leaders, instead of revealing facts.
Alleging that the roots of the ghee controversy trace back to the erstwhile TDP regime between 2014 and 2019, he called Indapur Dairy as a "Heritage manufacturing unit", though Naidu asserted in his presentation that the two companies had no ghee links.
Karunakar Reddy accused the TDP supremo of enabling Indapur Dairy and Harsh Fresh Dairy (Bhole Baba) into TTD ghee supply affairs.
Though Karnataka Milk Federation was initially ready to supply larger quantities of ghee, he alleged that it was restricted, and claimed that fresh tenders later benefited other firms at higher rates.
Further, Karunakar Reddy claimed that the CBI-led SIT formed under the aegis of the Supreme Court did not name former TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy as accused.
He alleged that the government was attempting to arrest YSRCP leaders despite "no findings" against them.
Referring two government orders issued during late YS Rajasekhara Reddy's tenure as CM, he said they were meant to protect the sanctity of the Tirumala hills and prevent non-Hindu religious activities.
Rebutting TDP supremo's claim that his daughter was married in Christian tradition, Karunakar Reddy clarified that her wedding followed Hindu rituals at Tiruchanur in the presence of thousands of people.
Further, the former TTD chairman asserted that he is a practicing Hindu and accused the coalition government of misusing the House for political and corporate gain, instead of safeguarding the dignity of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which administers the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.
Meanwhile, YSRCP leader P Venkatramaiah observed that a debate on alleged "Heritage - Indapur nexus" was repeatedly rejected in the Legislative Council but deliberated upon in the Assembly skipped by YSRCP MLAs with political overtones.
He claimed that baseless allegations were made against the opposition party leadership.
"Instead of speaking about the nexus, which was the point of contention, the matter turned political and allegations were levelled against (YSRCP chief) YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, bringing religion into the discussion," he said.
They tried to link the Tirupati laddu issue with religion and hurled baseless allegations, said Venkatramaiah, claiming that Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan were misleading people by changing their stance on the issue.
Moreover, he called upon the NDA government to "shun" alleged politicisation of religious issues.
Naidu slammed the previous YSRCP government of allegedly producing 20 crore Tirupati laddus using adulterated ghee through the involvement of "organised syndicates".
Such syndicates committed "sacrilege" by compromising with the prasadam, thereby hurting the sentiments of devotees, he said.