Dubbing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu a “pathological and habitual liar”, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take the “severest” action against his successor for “spreading lies” about the world-renowned Tirupati prasadam.
Jagan wrote a letter to Modi amid the raging controversy over the presence of “beef tallow” in the ghee used to make the consecrated laddoos. Naidu, a few days ago, had made the accusation that there was severe adulteration in the form of animal fat in the ghee used to make the prasadam during the previous regime.
The former Andhra chief minister claimed that misinformation was being spread about the Tirupati laddoos. He said the adulterated ghee container, which arrived on July 12, was not used in making the laddoos and misinformation is being spread.
“A robust procurement process has been in place since decades, the same was followed during TDP (Telugu Desam Party) government from 2014 to 2019,” he said.
He questioned why Naidu is highlighting the matter now if the adulterated samples were identified two months ago, and the report was also released then.
“I request the PM to reprimand Naidu in the severest way for spreading lies,” Jagan wrote in his letter to the prime minister.
“…Naidu is a pathological and habitual liar, now defaming the temple to hide his failure on all fronts despite completing 100 days in power,” he said.
Jagan further sought Modi’s intervention to reprimand Chandrababu Naidu over the issue. In his eight-page letter, he alleged that the CM has stooped so low as to hurt the beliefs of crores purely for political objectives.
He detailed the process undertaken at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the board that manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy in Tirumala, for accepting ghee. He said Naidu’s actions lowered not only the stature of CM but also that of everyone in public life, the sanctity of the board and its practices.
“Sir, the entire country looks to you at this crucial juncture. It is very imperative that Mr Naidu be reprimanded in the severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies and the truth be brought to light. Sir, this would help allay the suspicions that Mr Naidu has created in the minds of crores of Hindu devotees and restore their faith in sanctity of TTD,” he wrote in his letter.
What is the controversy?
On September 18, during an NDA legislative party meeting, Naidu alleged that the previous YSRCP government did not even spare the Tirumala temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making laddoos. Two days later on September 20, TTD executive officer J Shyamala Rao in a press conference said laboratory tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples and the board is in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied “adulterated” ghee.
(With PTI inputs)
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