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The controversy over the alleged use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of sacred laddu prasadam for revered Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala intensified on Friday after the temple trust repeated the allegations levelled by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the body managing the temple’s affairs, said ghee suppliers took advantage of the lack of in-house adulteration testing facility as well as not using outside facilities. TTD Executive Officer Shyamala Rao said lab tests had revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples.
“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,” the executive officer told a press conference.
A lab value indicated the sample was adulterated with Lard (pig fat) also, Rao said.
“All the four reports off samples gave similar results. So we immediately stopped 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.
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Former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy hit out at his successor, saying Naidu is such a person who can use god also for political gains.
The sacred laddus, offered as prasadam at the Tirumala temple, hold deep religious significance for millions of devotees.
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