Amaravati: Facing backlash over alleged use of animal fat in prasad laddoos, YSRCP president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is set to visit Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati on September 28. The former CM on Wednesday also called on devotees to participate in prayers at temples across the state on Saturday.
He said the call for the statewide prayers comes in response to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s allegations that animal fat—including beef tallow, lard, and fish oil—was used in the laddoos served as ‘prasadam’ at the Tirupati temple.
Reddy said that Naidu’s claims have “tarnished the sanctity” of Tirumala, the Tirumala laddu, and Venkateswara Swamy.
In a social media post on X, Reddy wrote, “To purify the sanctity of Tirumala, the significance of the Lord’s prasad, the glory of Venkateswara Swamy, the reputation of TTD, and the sanctity of the laddu offered by Venkateswara Swamy, the YSRCP is calling upon devotees to participate in prayers at temples across the state on September 28, Saturday.”
He further emphasised that Naidu’s statements were motivated by “political malice,” asserting, “This call comes in response to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s actions, which have tarnished the sanctity of Tirumala, the Tirumala laddu, and the greatness of Venkateswara Swamy through false statements driven by political malice.”
TDP’s reply to Jagan: In response to Reddy’s post, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), headed by Naidu, criticised him directly on X, stating, “You, who have no faith, devotion, or fear of the deity (Venkateswara Swamy), are the one making this call? The deity knows what punishment to impose on people like you. The deity will take care of it.”
The party further remarked, “Your family does not worship the deity… You have appointed non-Hindus as chairman in Tirumala… You compared the deity’s idol to a black stone and appointed someone who disrespects it as chairman… You wear garlands and go to the deity’s queue… Not once have you declared your faith in the deity.”
They continued, “You have never taken your wife to offer traditional cloth… You said your wife shouldn’t go to the temple, setting up a shrine at home instead… You have doubled the price of the deity’s laddu… You have shown devotees hell for five years… In the end, you mixed animal fat into the laddu, hurting the sentiments of millions.”
