VIJAYAWADA: Pandemonium continued in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council for the second consecutive day on Thursday, as the House debated allegations of adulterated ghee being used in the preparation of the sacred Laddu Prasadam of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
The uproar began in the morning session when YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLCs Tumati Madhav Rao, Varudu Kalyani, and Bharat moved an adjournment motion demanding the removal of the current TTD chairman, citing misconduct and failure to uphold the sanctity of the institution. The motion was rejected by the Council Chairman, prompting YSRCP members to storm the podium, raise slogans, and disrupt Question Hour.
Later, during a short discussion on the Laddu issue, YSRCP legislators demanded an apology from Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu for his remarks against party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The minister refused to retract his statement, insisting that Jagan clarify his religious identity, which further inflamed tensions. The Council was briefly adjourned amid the protests.
As the uproar continued, Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy delivered a detailed statement on the Laddu controversy. He accused the previous YSRCP government of large-scale irregularities, alleging that 59.79 lakh kilograms of adulterated ghee had been purchased, causing a loss of Rs 234 crore.
He claimed that lab reports had confirmed contamination with substances like ‘pish oil’ and ‘lard,’ and that the then TTD leadership suppressed these findings. Reddy asserted that a SIT probe had named 36 accused and described the episode as a conspiracy against the Hindu faith and Tirumala’s sanctity. YSRCP members, however, continued their protests, accusing the government of politicising the issue.