Spare faith from politics, at least!

   By Vijay Darda | 25-09-2024

The alleged issue of animal fat in Tirupati temple laddu has hit headlines… What’s the truth behind it?

The globally revered Tirupati Balaji Temple (Sri Venkateswara Temple) in Andhra Pradesh is currently embroiled in a controversy over the allegation that its famous laddus, distributed as prasadam, contain animal fat. This claim has sent widespread shockwaves, especially among the devout followers who believe in the Tirupati Balaji Temple. People are wondering if it is even possible that animal fat could be used in these sacred laddus without anyone knowing about it. Given that the allegation has been made by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, nothing less than a thorough investigation is warranted to uncover the truth. I believe that matters of faith should not be dragged into politics.

Every day, around 3,50,000 laddus are made in the Tirupati Balaji Temple’s kitchen, known as Potu. This tradition of distributing laddus as prasadam has been followed for nearly 300 years, generating an annual income of around `500-`600 crore. Never before in the temple’s history has anyone accused the temple of using animal fat while preparing laddus. Naidu alleged that during the previous government’s tenure, animal-fat-based ghee was used instead of pure ghee in making the laddus. He further claimed that in the last five years, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had desecrated the sanctity of Tirupati Balaji Temple. He also emphasised that pure and sacred laddus are being prepared now, given that his government is at the helm of affairs. It is important to note that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is a Christian, and this naturally led to an uproar. Union health minister J P Nadda immediately spoke to the chief minister Naidu and assured him that he will collect information from all parties concerned on the issue.

Interestingly, the report that sparked this social media frenzy does not explicitly mention that it pertains to Tirupati Balaji Temple laddus. The first page of the report is addressed to an officer from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), but the specific page concerning the alleged findings doesn’t mention TTD at all. Naturally, until an official report is published, doubts will persist regarding the legitimacy of this report. Immediately following Naidu’s allegations, YSRCP leader and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Jagan Mohan Reddy accused Naidu of being in the habit of using religion for political gains. He said the accusations of adulteration in the ghee used in laddus were merely an attempt to cover up the failures of the Naidu-led government in the first 100 days. YSRCP leader and former chairman of TTD Trust Y V Subba Reddy also entered the fray and claimed that Naidu had harmed the sanctity of the Tirupati Balaji Temple, deeply hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Congress president Sharmila Reddy has written a letter to the Union home minister Amit Shah, seeking a CBI probe into the matter. She has stated that such a sensitive matter should not be politicised.

As a member of the parliamentary committee, I have personally reviewed the operations at Tirumala. The temple’s kitchen is of the highest standard and is considered sacred. The TTD even has its own laboratory on the premises where all the ingredients used in preparing the prasadam are tested. The prasadam is certified each day before it is distributed to devotees. Given this robust system, how is it possible that no one would notice if adulterated ghee was being used? As I write this article, there is a social media uproar over claims that a particular brand of ghee was being used, when in fact, that brand (of ghee) has never been used in the temple. I mention this to show how quickly unverified information can fuel rumours. Fortunately, there are also some people who work to dispel such rumours. A devotee of Balaji drew my attention towards another development. The Naidu government appointed Syamala Rao as TTD’s executive officer on June 14, and on June 21, he posted a picture on social media asking, “Tried laddus made with pure ghee?”

I believe that attacking people’s faith is all too easy, but such attacks leave deep scars. That’s exactly what has been played out here, which is extremely unfortunate. A proper laboratory test should have been conducted first and any statement should have been made only after that. It was not difficult for the government to do this, but raising the issue without any authentic investigation is not right. It amounts to weakening the nation. Politics based on religion, caste, language or colour is not right. And now, even the sacred prasadam of God has become a casualty of politics. Oh God, forgive such politics! And if possible, grant these people some wisdom; they should spare the almighty, at least!

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