TIRUPATI: Tirupati district TDP leaders on Thursday staged a protest rally in Tirupati, alleging the use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of Tirumala Srivari Laddu Prasadam.
The rally, led by TDP Tirupati Parliamentary General Secretary and TUDA Chairman Dollar Diwakar Reddy, began at the Panchamukha Anjaneya Swamy Temple and proceeded to Naalugu Kaallu Mandapam.
Protesters raised slogans and formed a human chain, alleging that the ghee used during the previous government’s tenure was not genuine and was mixed with chemicals and palm oil–based substances.
Addressing the gathering, the TUDA Chairman alleged that authorities violated rules while selecting ghee-supplying companies and ignored quality standards in the name of low-cost procurement. He demanded strict action against those responsible, stating that the issue had hurt the religious sentiments of crores of devotees.
Referring to the SIT investigation, Dollars Divakar Reddy said the ghee supplied between 2019 and 2024 was not real ghee. “It was a synthetic liquid made by mixing animal fat and chemicals,” he alleged.
He said the investigation revealed that about 68.17 lakh kilograms of adulterated ghee had been used for laddu preparation. Lab reports confirmed that the substance contained 0% milk fat and was made using palm oil, palmolein and chemical esters.
According to him, officials found that nearly 20 crore laddus were prepared using the adulterated substance and distributed to devotees. He added that the SIT stated that YSRCP leaders were allegedly involved in corruption worth around `251 crore through the supply of the adulterated ghee, deeply hurting devotees’ religious sentiments.
A large number of TDP leaders, women leaders, party workers and local residents participated in the rally and voiced strong protest over the issue.