TDP says CM Naidu exposed laddu scam at Tirupati temple ; Pawan Kalyan assures strict action

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 25 (ANI): Telugu Desham Party (TDP) National spokesperson Prem Kumar Jain on Wednesday said that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu gave detailed information in the state Assembly about the alleged laddu scam at the Tirupati temple during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's tenure as Chief Minister, claiming that laddus were produced using fake ghee.
Speaking to ANI on the Tirupati laddu issue, Jain said the matter has hurt the faith of Hindus.
"Yesterday, in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, CM Chandrababu Naidu gave detailed information about the laddu scam at the Tirupati temple during Jagan Mohan Reddy's tenure as Chief Minister. He described how the laddus were produced using fake ghee, hurting the faith of Hindus," Jain said.
The TDP spokesperson said Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has also assured the protection of Hinduism and stated that strict action will be taken against those who hurt Hindu faith and beliefs.
"Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also assured the protection of Hinduism, stating that anyone who hurts Hindu faith and belief in this manner will face the maximum possible action, the strictest possible action," he said.
Jain added that measures have been put in place to ensure quality standards are maintained going forward.
"All the ingredients being purchased now are being certified by the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India)," he said.
The Tirupati temple, one of the most revered Hindu pilgrimage sites in India, is known for its prasadam laddus which are distributed to millions of devotees annually. Any controversy regarding the quality of temple prasadam is considered a serious matter affecting religious sentiments.
The issue has drawn widespread condemnation across political lines. Telangana BJP Chief N Ramchander Rao earlier said that the YSRCP should apologize to the people, describing the use of adulterated ghee as a grave insult to religious sentiments and a threat to public safety.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on February 23 dismissed a plea filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the Andhra Pradesh government's decision to appoint a one-member committee to examine the report of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged adulteration of ghee used in preparing prashadam laddus at the Tirupati Temple. (ANI)