A few hours before he was to leave for Tirupati, the former chief minister announced that he had put off his visit since the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh was trying to mobilise forces in the temple town to prevent him from visiting the shrine.
Published Sep 27, 2024 | 8:11 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 27, 2024 | 8:11 PM
N Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (X)
YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cancelled his scheduled visit to the Tirumala shrine on Saturday, 28 September, apparently not wanting to be seen as the one who is prolonging the political slugfest over “adulteration” of Tirupati laddu with animal fat,
A few hours before he was to leave for Tirupati, the former chief minister announced that he had put off his visit since the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh was trying to mobilise forces in the temple town to prevent him from visiting the shrine.
Jagan Mohan Reddy planned his visit to Tirumala shrine to atone for the sin of the Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu of trying to use the alleged “adulteration” of Laddu prasadam of the Lord to derive political benefit, in utter disregard to the fact that by doing so he was sullying the sanctity of Tirumala Shrine.
Meanwhile, Naidu said those who believe in Lord Venkateswara are welcome to worship and visit Tirumala.
“TTD has its own traditions and principles that should be respected by everyone, regardless of their religion. No one has said that Jagan Mohan Reddy should not go to the temple. Due to recent controversies, Hindu sentiments have been hurt, and devotees are reportedly organising protests. If he visits Tirumala, these groups have indicated they will mobilise as well. Police are on duty to maintain peace and order. Why is he spreading false information on this issue? Every religion has traditions and principles that deserve respect,” Naidu said.
Tension escalated in Tirupati as the day grew on Friday as Jagan Mohan Reddy was to arrive at Renigunta airport at 4.50 pm. Even though the ruling parties Jana Sena and TDP decided to leave it to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to decide whether or not to allow him into the temple to carry out ritual for “his penance”, the BJP and Hindu organisations apparently decided to organise protest when he lands in Tirupati.
The police had said they would invoke section 30 of the Police Act to restrict and regulate crowds if the YSRCP activists chose to accompany their leader to the Tirumala shrine. The police issued notices to YSRCP leaders across the district asking them not to visit Tirupati as it might lead to the breakdown of law and order.
The former chief minister, speaking to media persons at the YSRCP office in Tadepalli near Vijaywada, said that it distressed him to see politics plummeting to such lows that the government has decided to obstruct him, from visiting the temple.
Rule 16 of the GO Ms 311 and rule 136 of the TTD Regulations a non-Hindu has to declare his religion and also affirm that he has faith in Lord Venkateswara before vesting the temple.
As the TTD was getting ready to implement the order in his case, the former chief minister apparently decided against visiting the temple. He thus had sought to shift the blame to the TDP and the TTD for the cancellation of his visit to Tirumala when he wanted to do an act of penance for the sacrilege committed by Chief Minister Naidu.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, while announcing his decision to cancel his visit to Tirumala, lashed out at Naidu for trying to divert the attention from the fact that his allegation of adulteration of laddu had been proved wrong.
“Now the government had brought in the restriction that I have to declare my religion to visit the temple. This is a brazen attempt to cover up Naidu’s faux pas in making the allegation of adulteration. Now he wants to extricate himself from the mess. When I want to visit the temple, they say that unless I declare my faith, I cannot go inside the temple. Is there any temple in the entire world that does not allow one to worship God on flimsy reasons like this,” Jagan Mohan Reddy asked.
Likening Naidu’s rule to that of a demon, the former chief minister said that NDA, descending to new lows of debased politics, has notices issued to the YSRCP workers against arriving in Tirupati even as the BJP began mobilising its activists from nearby states to Tirupati in an attempt to obstruct him and YSRCP leaders from visiting the temple.
The notices are a clear indication of the NDA’s intent to convey that “Jagan Mohan Reddy is not welcome in Tirumala and that if he tries to visit the temple, he should be arrested. “Isn’t it indicative of a rule by a demon?” he asked.
The former chief minister wanted to know why the TDP and its NDA constituents were trying so desperately to divert the attention of the people unless Naidu had realised that the allegation, casting doubt on the sanctity of Tirumala laddu, had boomeranged on him.
Naidu made the blasphemous comments on Tirumala Laddu only to deflect public opinion from his 100-day rule in which there was nothing he could boast of, he said.
He wondered how Naidu, who is occupying the high office of the chief minister, could speak lies so fluently and deliberately.
“This showed how much he was committed to upholding the sanctity of the shrine. He came out with a malicious spiel that the laddus were made with animal fat, with a clear intention of reaping poetical benefit, regardless of how much damage he was causing to the sanctity of the temple, in the process,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
He said for decades, the TTD had been procuring ghee for making laddus, once every six months. It is then that tenders are invited.
“These rules have been in force for a very long time. When the tenders are filed, the Lowest Bid (L1) will be finalised. There is no intervention of the government in the process.”
“While finalising the bidder, the entire tender is not awarded to the L1. Only 65 percent of the tender is given to the L1 bidder and the remaining bidders would be asked to reduce the price they had quoted. After they reduce their price, the remaining order for the supply of ghee is given. Each tanker that arrives with ghee should be accompanied by a certificate issued by the National Accreditation Board of Laboratories (NABL) on its quality. Even then, samples of ghee are taken out from the tankers that arrive and are sent for a three-level check. Only after the ghee in question aces these tests, it will be allowed to be used in preparation of laddu prasadam,” He said.
The YSRCP chief said that when Naidu was the chief minister between 2014 and 2019, about 14 to 15 tankers were returned as they could not pass the quality checks.
“When I was the chief minister between 2019-24, 18 tankers of ghee were sent back for not passing the quality check,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said, pointing out that there was no scope to allow poor quality ghee regardless of who is the chief minister.
He said in June also, the same tendering procedure which has been in practice for decades was followed.
“Those who got tenders began supplying ghee on 12 June. The supply began only after Chandrababu Naiud became the chief minister. On 12 June, 21 June and 4 July, tankers that arrived had ghee of the approved quality and were allowed. But two tankers that arrived on 6 July, and another two tankers that came on 12 July, were to be sent back because the ghee did not conform to the standards of the TTD,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
“Usually, the samples are sent to CFTRI in Mysore but this time they were sent to NDDB in Gujarat for the first time in the history of TTD. The report that the NDDB sent on 23 July revealed that the ghee was adulterated. The tankers were then sent back,” he added.
The former chief minister asked Naidu why he had to raise the issue on 18 September, two months after the tankers were sent back and that the ghee was never used in making laddus.
He recalled the TTD executive officer, appointed by the TDP-led NDA government, saying that vanaspati was the adulterant in the ghee that was sent back. Even then Naidu weaved a web of lies about the adulteration of laddu with animal fat which only showed his intent to derive political benefit.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said that Naidu’s sin should come out in the open. “Let the people of the state not pay for his sin. As I did not want the issue to be diverted, I have cancelled my trip to Tirumala,” he said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
