NEW DELHI, Sept 27 — A controversy erupted in India over the iconic Tirupati ladoo after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed they were contaminated with animal and vegetable fats.
According to the BBC, he alleged that ghee used in the sweets was adulterated with beef tallow and fish oil, which sparked outrage among devotees and religious leaders.
The Tirupati temple, a major Hindu pilgrimage site, produces over 350,000 ladoo daily, which are considered blessings by worshippers.
Political tensions rose as Naidu blamed former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for the issue, while Reddy accused Naidu of lying for political gain.
The temple management responded by sourcing ghee from multiple suppliers and conducting lab tests that identified substandard products.
In a bid to restore faith, priests performed a purification ritual at the temple.
The controversy has prompted testing of sweets at other temples and garnered significant attention on social media.
As the debate rages on, various factions within the Hindu community have expressed their outrage and distrust regarding the allegations.
