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Tirupati Laddus row: ‘Never supplied ghee to Tirupati temple,’ says Amul
Amul's statement comes amid allegations from the TDP regarding the use of “animal fat” in Tirupati laddus during the previous YSRCP government's tenure.
Amul on Friday issued a statement clarifying that they have never supplied ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) for laddu preparation, following allegations from Telugu Desam Party regarding the use of “animal fat” in the prasadam offered to Lord Venkateswara during the previous Jagan Reddy government's tenure.
Amul addressed the issue on X, saying, “This is in reference to some social media posts mentioning that Amul Ghee was being supplied to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). We wish to inform that we have never supplied Amul Ghee to TTD.”
“We also wish to clarify Amul Ghee is made from Milk at our state-of-the-art production facilities which are ISO certified. Amul Ghee is made from high quality pure milk fat. The milk received at our dairies passes through stringent quality checks including adulteration detection as specified by FSSAI. Amul Ghee is India's most trusted ghee brand for more than 50+ years and continues to be an integral part of Indian households. This post is being issued to stop this misinformation campaign against Amul. In case of any query, please call on our toll-free number 1800 258 3333,” it added.
Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy, a company that supplied ghee to the Tirupati Lord Balaji temple, stated that their product samples had been properly certified for quality by the authorities. The Dindigul-based firm clarified that they only supplied ghee to the Tirumala temple during June and July, and each batch was accompanied by accredited lab reports.
Speaking at a public meeting in Prakasam district on Friday, Naidu accused the previous administration of purchasing low-quality ghee at reduced prices for TTD. He said, “Today, we have changed the ghee supplier and have started procuring Nandini brand ghee from Karnataka.”
Tirupati Laddu controversy
During an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday, Andhra CM and TDP chief Naidu alleged that the previous YSRCP government compromised the sanctity of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple by using substandard ingredients and animal fat in the preparation of the renowned laddu, which is celebrated for its distinctive taste.
The controversy escalated on Friday when the TTD, responsible for managing the wealthy temple, supported Naidu's claims regarding the presence of animal fat in the ‘prasadam’, while YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called the accusations “atrocious.”
In response to the allegations, Reddy said that the adulteration claims were a tactic to distract the public from the government's achievements in its first 100 days. He further criticised Naidu, accusing him of even using religious matters for political gain.
TTD Executive Officer (EO) addressed the issue, saying, “All the four reports of samples gave similar results. So we immediately stopped (receiving) the supplies. And the blacklisting of the contractor was initiated and the procedure to impose penalties would also be initiated. Now, the legal process will start.”
He added, “Now the reason for the lack of quality is not having an in-house lab, sending the samples to outside labs for testing and unviable rates.”
He pointed out that suppliers exploited these shortcomings, providing ghee priced between ₹320 and ₹411, calling this range unsustainable for delivering pure cow ghee.
