Tirumala Laddu Row Deepens as AP Govt Orders High-Level Probe

The Andhra Pradesh government has taken another major step in the alleged ghee adulteration controversy linked to the preparation of Tirumala Lord Venkateswara’s sacred laddu prasadam . Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the formation of a single-member commission to address systemic failures and administrative lapses.

The decision was announced after a high-level meeting at his Undavalli residence with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and other ministers. The commission will examine the issue after reviewing the SIT report , the Chief Minister said.

Questioning the previous government, Mr. Naidu asked why the CFTRI report of 2022 , which flagged ghee quality issues, was allegedly suppressed. He also raised concerns over contracts awarded to suppliers offering ghee at just ₹320 per kg . He stated that samples sent to the NDDB-Calf laboratory after the new government took charge confirmed the presence of animal fat and fish oil , calling it a sensitive matter that hurt devotees’ sentiments.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan rejected claims of a clean chit to YSRCP leaders, stating that the CBI had issued no such clearance . He accused them of undermining the sanctity of Tirumala and warned that accountability was unavoidable.

BJP state president PVN Madhav alleged corruption in the tender process, claiming contracts were awarded to dairies that did not procure milk. Leaders of the ruling alliance said TTD’s quality control systems would be strengthened to prevent such incidents in the future.