Nw Desk A massive row erupted when the ruling Telugu Desam Party claimed the presence of “beef tallow,” “lard” (related to pig fat), and fish oil in the ghee used for the preparation of the ladoos (sweets) at Tirupati temple.
The Tirupati temple is embroiled in a controversy over the ladoos (sweets) it offers to devotees. On Thursday, the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) claimed that the ladoos (sweets) at Tirupati temple were made from ghee prepared from “beef tallow,” “lard” (related to pig fat), and fish oil.
Alleged use of beef tallow in Tirupati Temple sweets.
It is claimed that beef tallow, made from rendered fat extracted from beef cuts like a rump roast, ribs, and steaks, is used to make the ladoos at Tirupati Temple. The Tirupati ladoos are made by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which manages the Tirumala Venkateswara temple. Chandrababu Naidu, CM of Andhra Pradesh, claimed there was a usage of “animal fat” instead of ghee in the ladoos offered at Tirupati shrine during the previous YSRCP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
A lab report allegedly confirmed the presence of beef tallow.
At a press conference, TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy displayed an alleged lab report, which apparently confirmed the presence of “beef tallow” in the given ghee sample. The ghee samples were provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). He said, “The lab reports of the samples certify that beef tallow, animal fat–lard, and fish oil were used in the preparation of ghee supplied to Tirumala, and the S value is only 19.7.” However, neither the TTD nor the Andhra Pradesh government confirmed the lab report.
The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP has denied the allegations and accused Naidu of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains.
