Tirupati Laddoo Row: Rahul Gandhi reacts to alleged use of ‘animal fat’, says 'this issue will hurt every devotee...'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday raised concerns over reports of adulteration in the renowned Tirupati laddu, a sacred offering given at the Sri Venkateshwara temple in Andhra Pradesh. In a social media post, Gandhi called for a thorough investigation into the matter, emphasizing the importance of preserving the sanctity of religious places.

In a post on X, Gandhi stated, "The reports about the defilement of the Prasad at Sri Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati are disturbing. Lord Balaji is a revered deity for millions of devotees in India and across the world. This issue will hurt every devotee and needs to be thoroughly looked into."

Gandhi's remarks come amid a growing national debate over the alleged use of animal fat in the preparation of the laddu, a significant offering at the temple.

He urged prompt action, saying, "Authorities across India have to protect the sanctity of our religious spaces."

The controversy began after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu raised concerns about the quality of ingredients used in the laddu. Naidu claimed that during the previous YSRCP-led government, there had been a failure to uphold quality standards, with reports of animal fat and other impurities in the ghee used for making the laddus.

The allegations have sparked outrage nationwide, with devotees expressing distress over the potential defilement of the sacred offering.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the temple's governing body, stated that lab tests had confirmed the presence of lard (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee supplied by a contractor. TTD Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao mentioned that four separate lab reports had shown similar findings, prompting the board to stop supplies from the implicated contractor and start the process of blacklisting them.