The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) State Coordinator, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, on Tuesday accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of “hurting the sentiments of millions of Tirumala devotees” for political gain by spreading false propaganda about adulterated ghee used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus.
Addressing the media at the party office, Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy alleged that Mr. Naidu had launched a “manufactured conspiracy” to divert public attention from the YSRCP’s State-wide rallies against the privatisation of newly established government medical colleges. He claimed that the former Chief Minister had even “misled a few national media houses” with misinformation aimed at maligning the YSRCP and former TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy.
Clarifying the timeline of events, he said complaints regarding the ghee supplier, Bolebaba, were received during Mr. Subba Reddy’s tenure and that the firm was blacklisted after laboratory verification. “The questionable ghee tankers arrived only after Mr. Naidu took charge. How can the YSRCP be blamed?” he asked, citing the SIT remand report that noted how tanker samples were rejected by the NDDB in July 2024 but allegedly reused in August under the current administration.
Referring to an NDDB report dated March 27, 2025, Mr. Sajjala said it detected traces of palm oil and palm stearin in ghee samples—months after the TDP came to power. “This report clearly falls under Chandrababu’s rule,” he asserted.
Calling the allegations “absurd,” he questioned the claim that the laddus were made entirely with chemicals. “If no milk-based ghee was used, how could lakhs of devotees and thousands of TTD staff not notice? Such laddus wouldn’t even remain stable,” he remarked.
Mr. Sajjala further alleged that the controversy was “scripted inside TTD offices” and amplified through “celebrity social media handles.” He accused the government of double standards, saying it ignored serious tragedies such as the Kasiugga temple incident while “pretending to protect faith” now.
Taking a swipe at Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, he said the latter “speaks only when instructed by Chandrababu” and “avoids tough questions.”
Challenging the government to prove its sincerity, Mr. Sajjala demanded a CBI probe into the matter. “If you are honest, why hide behind a State SIT? Why weaponise faith and hurt devotees?” he asked.
Published – November 11, 2025 08:55 pm IST
