Tirupati Prasad row: "Previous government played with people's sentiments," says Andhra CM Naidu

Amaravathi (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 22 (ANI): Amid the Tirupati Prasad adulteration row, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday stated that his government accords the highest respect to the sanctity of temples and the sentiments of devotees. He further stated that the previous state government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy had played with the sentiments of the people and did not honour their feelings.
"Every religion has certain traditions and commitments, and the government needs to respect all of them," Chandrababu Naidu said while interacting with the media at the TDP central office, where the Chief Minister received appeals from the visitors.
The Chief Minister said that the previous government simply played with the sentiments of the people and did not honour their feelings. "Not only that government has destroyed Amaravathi but also counter-attacked those who raised their voice and spread false propaganda against such persons," he said.
"How the YSRCP leaders falsely rebutted the murder of Babai (YS Vivekananda Reddy, the paternal uncle of the former chief minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy) in a similar manner they are refuting the issue of boats in Prakasam Barrage. The YSRCP leaders have mastered the art of counterattack, fake propaganda, and false rebuttal after committing crimes," Chandrababu said
Not only they committed the crime but also shamelessly claimed it to be a diversional politics, Chandrababu said and stated that immediately after assuming charge as the Chief Minister, he ordered the Executive Officer to cleanse the Seven Hills of Tirumala. "The EO has taken serious measures to improve the quality of Laddu and blacklisted various companies that were earlier supplying ghee," he said.
Andhra Pradesh CM said he felt that the Lord himself made him reveal these facts on the Laddu. "The Almighty does everything and we are only nominal. That is what I personally feel," Naidu said.
Naidu said that the further steps need to be taken and how to implement them with regard to Tirumala are being discussed and a decision will soon be taken after consulting the Jeer Swamy, Kanchi Swamy and other pundits, he said.
Chandrababu asked how the former TTD chairman, YV Subba Reddy, can be given a clean chit by the YSRCP and said that the YSRCP government did not follow any traditions atop the Tirumala Hills. Recalling that the former chief minister, the late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, had said that Tirumala had only two hills and the TDP waged a war against that government at that time, Chandrababu said that an operation cleansing will soon be taken up in all the temples in the state.
Meanwhile, former Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Tirupati Prasad adulteration row. Attempts are being made by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to "irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity, and reputation" of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, he said.
"Chandrababu Naidu, a pathological and habitual liar, has stooped so low as to seriously hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives. His actions have indeed lowered not only the stature of a Chief Minister but also that of everyone in public life and also the sanctity of the world renowned TTD and its practices," the letter read.
On September 19, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stirred a political controversy after he claimed that the ghee used in the preparation of Tirupati laddoo prasadam, offered at Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Tirupati, contained animal fat during the previous YSRCP government.
Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the Tirumala hills of Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district. (ANI)