Tirupati laddu controversy: Debate for the Gods or political fodder?

Ahmedabad: The Tirupati laddu controversy, where alleged presence of animal fat in the prasadam, ignited a firestorm across the nation and on the virtual world.

Netizens expressed their outrage after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu issued a statement on ‘animal fat’ including fish oil, lard, beef tallow used to make the laddus.

The Supreme Court on Monday took exception over Naidu’s statement that animal fat had been used in the laddus distributed as prasad at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati during the previous YSR Congress administration, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The controversy also led to a war of words between Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and South actor Prakash Raj on X.

On September 24, Raj took to his X handle and wrote, “Dear @PawanKalyan garu..i saw your press meet.. what I have said and what you have misinterpreted is surprising.. I’m shooting abroad. Will come back to reply your questions.. meanwhile I would appreciate if you can go through my tweet earlier and understand #justasking”

It was in response to Deputy CM Kalyan’s call for a Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board. On September 20, DyCM Kalyan took to X and wrote, “We are all deeply disturbed with the findings of animal fat (fish oil, pork fat and beef fat )mixed  in Tirupathi Balaji Prasad. Many questions to be answered by the TTD board constituted by YCP Govt then. Our Govt is committed to take stringent action possible. But, this throws light on many issues surrounding desecration of temples, its land issues and other dharmic practices. Many be the time has come to constitute a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ at a National level to look into all the issues related to temples in entire Bharath.  A debate has to happen at a National level by all the policy makers, religious heads, judiciary, citizens, media and all others in their respective domains. I think we all should come together to put an end to desecration of ‘Sanathana Dharma’ in any form.”

AP DyCM Pawan Kalyan also undertook a 11-day Prayaschita Deeksha (penance) over the alleged presence of animal fat in the ghee used for making laddu prasadam of Tirumala temple.

Kalyan also took strong exception to provocative remarks made by YSRCP leaders and former Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy over adulteration. He said they should either admit their mistakes or keep quiet.

Meanwhile, actor Karthi was also dragged into the controversy after he declined to comment on the issue at an event. After Kalyan slammed him for not responding on the issue, Karthi took to X and apologized. “Dear @PawanKalyan Sir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards,” he wrote.

In response, DyCM Kalyan appreciated his apology and expressed his admiration for him as an actor. “Dear @Karthi_Offl garu, I sincerely appreciate your kind gesture and swift response, as well as the respect you've shown towards our shared traditions. Matters concerning our sacred institutions, like Tirupati and its revered laddus, carry deep emotional weight for millions of devotees, and it’s essential for all of us to handle such topics with care,” he wrote.

“That said, I wanted to bring this to your notice with no intentions behind it, and I understand the situation was unintentional. Our responsibility as public figures is to foster unity and respect, especially regarding what we cherish most—our culture and spiritual values. Let's always strive to uplift these values while continuing to inspire through cinema. I would also like to express my admiration for you as a remarkable actor whose dedication and talent have consistently enriched our cinema.

Wishing you, @Suriya_offl garu, #Jyotika garu, and the entire team at @2D_ENTPVTLTD a successful release of #Meiyazhagan / #SathyamSundaram. May it resonate with audience and bring joy to many,” Kalyan added.

The apex court slammed CM Naidu for making statements without any conclusive proof that animal fat was indeed used to make Tirupati laddus. It further rebuked Naidu and reiterated that no public statement should have been made by the chief minister.

Was Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu’s statement aimed at gaining political mileage? Earlier, CM Naidu had announced a probe by Special Investigation Team (SIT) into irregularities at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the affairs of Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala.