Tirupati laddu ghee-adulteration case: Former chairman Subba Reddy says he is ready for lie-detector test

Terming N. Chandrababu Naidu’s allegation that the ghee used to make laddus in Tirumala temple was adulterated during YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) regime as baseless and politically motivated, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) former chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy said he was prepared to undergo even a lie detector test to prove that he had done nothing wrong as chairman of the TTD in that period. 

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday (November 27, 2025), Mr. Subba Reddy said Mr. Naidu had intentionally dragged Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple into the political muddle by unleashing a misinformation campaign, which continued while the SIT was still probing the matter. 

More than 20 crore Tirupati laddus out of 48.76 crore made during 2019-24 used spurious ghee: TTD chairman

“False leaks and fabricated narratives on the sensitive issue by leaders of the ruling parties were damaging the temple’s global reputation,” he stated, while insisting that he had always upheld the sanctity of the Tirumala temple during his two terms as the chairman of TTD.

Mr. Subba Reddy said his family has been dedicated to spiritual service for generations, but he was being maligned owing to his close association with Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. “If ghee adulteration and my involvement in it were real, why would I file a petition in the Supreme Court”, he wondered. 

Tirupati laddu row: Nothing to show, as of now, lard was used in laddus, says Supreme Court

Mr. Subba Reddy said the allegations by Telugu Desam Party leaders on the ghee issue, especially whether the adulteration was done with vegetable or animal fat, were inconsistent and it indicates a conspiracy that should be unravelled. Statements on the tankers (in which the ghee was transported) were also made up as per a plan. 

Claims that 20 crore Iaddus were made with adulterated ghee in 2019-24 were wrong, he said, noting that no single company supplies the commodity to TTD permanently. 

Mr. Subba Reddy affirmed that he has never drawn any financial benefit from TTD despite handling tenders worth hundreds of crores of rupees when he was the chairman. Instead, he took several policy decisions that saved huge sums for the TTD.