A purification ceremony lasting four hours took place at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) temple to honor Lord Venkateswara Swamy after claims emerged about animal fat being mixed into the famous Tirupati laddus.
TTD executive officer J. Shyamala Rao assured devotees that their worries regarding the sanctity of the prasadam have been addressed. She confirmed that the laddus have been purified following the ritual.
In related news, India's food safety regulator, FSSAI, has issued a show-cause notice to A R Dairy Food Private Ltd, a firm in Tamil Nadu, for allegedly supplying low-quality ghee to the temple authority. There have been increasing calls for a thorough investigation into these claims, with some individuals demanding strict measures against the alleged use of animal fat in the sacred laddus.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has called for a court-monitored inquiry, while former TTD chairman and YSRCP MP Y.V. Subba Reddy, who denied the adulteration allegations, has requested an independent investigation led by a retired Supreme Court judge.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the issue on its own accord, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced the formation of a special investigation team to look into the matter.
The FSSAI notice was issued following information from the Director of the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, regarding possible violations of food safety laws by the ghee supplier, which has been providing ghee to the TTD for the last four years.
The controversy has gained widespread attention, particularly after Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of using substandard ingredients and animal fats in the preparation of the laddus. Former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has refuted all allegations.
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