Tirumala Prasadam Row: Amul fights 'beef in Laddu' wildfire

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Amul files FIRs against social media users for misinformation

By Raisina Correspondent

New Delhi, September 21: The report claiming that the Laddus for ‘prasadam’ in the Tirumala Temple in Tirupathi had been made with animal fat has set off a wildfire on the social media platforms.

The milk cooperative giant, Amul, fired FIRs against as many as seven users of the social media platforms for linking it with adulterated ‘Laddus’ of the Tirumala Temple.

Commentators on the social media platforms are also wondering the way an atrociously low-price tender was floated for procuring Ghee for making the Tirumala Laddu. They are seeking probe against the suppliers.

Amul had issued a statement yesterday to state that it had never supplied Ghee to the Tirumala Temple. “We have never supplied Ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD),” said Amul in the statement.

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The Anand-based cooperative also said that it was issuing statement to stop misinformation being spread. Amul on Saturday lodged FIRs against seven users of the social media platforms for making claims to link it with the ‘Tirumala Prasadam’ row.

Karnataka Milk Federation has also clarified that it has no association with Tirumala Laddu. It said that it never supplied Ghee to TTD.

Economic Affairs commentator and senior journalist M K Venu said in a thread on X, formerly Twitter, that “Tirupathi temple buys about 20 lakh kilos of ghee annually from multiple sources at a tendered price of ₹320 per kg when retail market price is about ₹700 kgs sold by Amul, etc”.

“Supplier has incentive to mix animal fat to sustain such low costs. The question is how such tendering was done and what weightage is given to quality of ghee,” asked Venu.

He also wondered, is the ghee not tested at the outset? “Who are the suppliers? Their antecedents would be interesting. Some are from UP and Assam! Probe needed,” posted Venu on X.

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The lab report that set off the wild storm was prepared by ‘The Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food’. This laboratory comes under the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

The report alleged that the ‘Laddus’ used as ‘prasadam’ at the Tirumala Temple had traces of animal fats such as beef tallow (sourced from beef), lard (sourced from pigs), and fish oil.

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has claimed that the allegations made against the Tirumala Laddus are “politically motivated”. The incumbent state Chief Minister N. Chandra Babu Naidu squarely blamed Reddy for the “mixing of beef in Ghee used for preparations of Laddus”.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has expressed concerns at the controversy. “The reports about the defilement of the Prasad at Sri Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati are disturbing. Lord Balaji is a revered deity for millions of devotees in India and across the world,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

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The Congress leader also stated that “this issue will hurt every devotee and needs to be thoroughly looked into”. “Authorities across India have to protect the sanctity of our religious spaces,” added Gandhi.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised action in the case. “Action will be taken if the claims are verified,” Nadda has said.

Acharya Satyendra Das, who is the chief priest of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, has been quoted by media outlets, saying that the ‘prasad’ from Tirupati Temple had been distributed among the devotees during the consecration ceremony.

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