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Tirupati laddu row: Temple authorities deny devotees' claim of insects in prasad
The claims of insects in the Tirupati temple offerings have emerged amid weeks of outrage about the alleged presence of animal fat in their infamous laddu
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) have dismissed claims by devotees that insects were found in the prasad (temple offering) at the Lord Venkateswara Tirupati temple.
The incident allegedly took place on Wednesday, at 1:30 pm when lunch was being served at the temple. According to one devotee, he found a millipede in his curd rice, reported India Today.
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Chandu, who had travelled from Warangal to visit the temple said, "When I raised the issue with the staff, their response was shockingly casual. They said, ‘It happens sometimes.’"
After he documented the incident with photos and videos, he was approached by temple authorities who at first tried to dismiss the seriousness of the situation and later resorted to intimidate him.
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The temple authorities, according to Chandu, claimed that the insect came from the leaf used for serving.
“This negligence is unacceptable. If children or others were to consume contaminated food, who would be held responsible for potential food poisoning?” said Chandu.
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The TTD denied the allegations and termed them as “baseless and false”. They insisted that the prasad was made fresh in the temple daily for thousands of people and an insect would have been detected.
"TTD prepares hot Anna prasadam for thousands of devotees who come for Srivari Darshan and it is an unconvincing claim that a millipede could fall into the food unnoticed," their statement said.
The TTD also claimed that the comments made against the prasad could be an attempt to lead devotees astray of their faith in Lord Venkateswara and were a means to defame the institution.
The claim of an insect in the prasad comes at a time where the infamous Tirupati laddu has faced scrutiny due to allegations of the presence of animal fat in them.
A special investigation team aided by the CBI is looking into the claims of animal fat in the laddu under Supreme Court orders.
