Tirupati Laddu Controversy: Adulteration Under Chandrababu Rule, Margani Bharat Hits Back
7 Feb, 2026 12:31 IST|Sandeep Athreya
YSRCP Demands Chandrababu Retract ‘Tirupati Laddu’ Claims, Cites Lab Reports
No Animal Fat in Tirupati Laddu Ghee: YSRCP Slams Chandrababu for False Claims
Tirupati Laddu Controversy: YSRCP Says Chandrababu Insulted Devotees, Spread Falsehoods
YSRCP has slammed TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for what it called a reckless and malicious campaign over the Tirupati laddu, demanding that he publicly withdraw his claims and apologise to devotees. Addressing the media on Saturday, former MP Margani Bharat accused Chandrababu of deliberately peddling falsehoods by alleging that animal fat was used in the ghee for the laddu, despite clear reports from national laboratories categorically ruling out any such contamination.
Bharat said Chandrababu’s refusal to retract his remarks, even after scientific confirmation, had needlessly hurt the religious sentiments of devotees worldwide and dangerously inflamed public opinion. “Instead of apologising, he escalated the lie by claiming that toilet-cleaning chemicals were used in the ghee, while TDP leaders amplified these baseless allegations on national platforms,” he said.
Turning the tables, the YSRCP leader alleged that it was during the TDP regime that flavour-enhancing chemicals were used in large quantities in laddu ghee, asserting that documentary evidence exists to prove the procurement of such additives. He accused Chandrababu of habitually dragging faith into political mudslinging and exploiting Lord Venkateswara for personal and political mileage.
Bharat further said that under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, Tirupati’s spiritual stature was strengthened nationwide through temple construction, while Chandrababu carried the ignominy of temple demolitions during Pushkarams. He pointed out that it was former TTD chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy who approached the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe into the alleged laddu contamination, and that the CBI, after investigation, closed the case and filed a chargesheet clearly stating there was no animal fat in the ghee.
“Yet Chandrababu and his propaganda machinery continue to push false narratives, erecting posters and hoardings to malign political rivals and drag God into controversy for cheap political gains,” Bharat said, calling the campaign cynical, irresponsible and deeply offensive to devotees.
