Jagan Reddy cancels Tirupati visit amid 'laddu' row

YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy cancels visit to Tirupati temple to prevent disturbances

YSR Congress (YSRCP) leader and ex-Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has called off his scheduled trip to Tirumala, the revered Hindu temple in Tirupati, due to the dispute surrounding claims of animal fat being used in making the temple’s prasadam laddus. The choice was made in order to prevent any disturbances or safety issues while he was visiting.

Reddy, who had plans to go to the temple, expressed his worry about the safety and convenience of the numerous visitors.

The head of YSR Congress was on his way to the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala Hills for a statewide temple ritual, to repent for Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s accusations regarding Tirupati laddus.

Jagan accuses state government of hindering his visit

Before going to the temple, Jagan held a press conference where he accused the state government of hindering his visit to the Tirumala temple.

“The state is still under the rule of the demon. The government is attempting to impede my planned trip to the Tirumala temple. Police have sent notifications to YSRCP leaders throughout the state about the temple visit. The announcement says that visiting the Tirumala temple is prohibited and the event arranged by YSRCP does not have the required authorization. As a result, leaders are prohibited from taking part in that program,” former Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy condemned the state government and alleged that they were using the Tirupati laddus controversy as a diversion from the actual problems. Reddy pointed out that while they try to block his visits, BJP members are entering the state, and there is increased police presence at various sites. I’m not certain if the BJP leadership is informed about this.

Also read: Odisha to test quality of ghee used in ‘prasad’ at Jagannath temple

Reddy firmly rejected the accusations from Chandrababu Naidu about animal fat being used in the ghee for the sacred Tirupati laddus. He supported the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) bidding procedures and rejected Naidu’s allegations as unfounded.

Reddy also mentioned that the issue of ghee being rejected because of quality issues has been a common issue throughout both his and Naidu’s terms in office. Chandrababu Naidu’s administration from 2014 to 2019 faced rejection of ghee 14-15 times citing quality problems. In the same vein, ghee faced rejection 18 times between 2019 and 2024. Reddy stated that this is a crucial step in guaranteeing quality.