Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has accused the previous YSR Congress government of altering key procedures related to ghee procurement for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
He claimed that the qualifications for ghee suppliers were significantly lowered, changing the experience requirement from three years to just one year under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's administration.
Additionally, he noted that the necessary turnover for suppliers was reduced from Rs 250 crore to Rs 150 crore.
Naidu expressed concern that these changes have compromised the quality of the temple's offerings, particularly the iconic laddus, hurting the sentiments of devotees. He questioned how suppliers could offer pure ghee at Rs 319 when even palm oil costs more, suggesting that the quality of ingredients has been compromised.
He further alleged that appointments to the TTD board became "like gambling," with instances of appointing individuals lacking faith and giving preference to non-Hindus. Naidu emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards for Venkateswara Swamy's Prasadam, which has relied on pure ingredients for over 300 years.
In response to his criticisms, Naidu referenced a letter from Jagan to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming it was an attempt to deflect accountability.
Following recent lab tests that revealed animal fat and lard in some ghee samples, TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao announced that the board is working to blacklist the contractor responsible for supplying adulterated ghee.