Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday ordered a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged presence of animal fat in ghee used for making Tirupati laddus when YSR Congress Party was in power.
He told a press conference that the SIT will be headed by an Inspector General (IG) or a higher official.
Stating that action would be taken against the guilty based on the SIT report, he vowed to purify Tirumala and restore its glory.
Naidu said due to suspicion over the quality of ghee being used for making laddu prasadam, samples from four tankers were sent to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for analysis. He claimed that lab reports revealed the presence of pork and beef fat.
The Chief Minister said Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Executive Officer Shyamala Rao issued notices to concerned organisations and blacklisted them. A committee of experts was constituted for subsequent action and fresh tenders were called.
Naidu remarked that former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy defended the wrong in the letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The letter is full of lies. Tirumala does not have a system to conduct full-fledged tests to check adulteration," he said.
He alleged that in the name of reverse tendering, Jagan did not even spare Tirumala. He changed the rules to give tenders to his own people for commissions, he said and claimed that even those who could not produce ghee participated in the bidding.
The TDP chief alleged that Jagan used Tirumala for political advantages and appointed those who did not believe in Lord Venkateswara as TTD chairman. "TTD board was turned into a political rehabilitation centre. Tirmala was desecrated in every way," he said. (IANS)
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