Tirupati laddu row: Food minister Pralhad Joshi seeks probe into Andhra CM's allegations about animal fat use

New Delhi: Food Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday called for an investigation into allegations made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu regarding the use of animal fat in Tirupati laddus, a claim that has sparked concern among devotees.

"Whatever the Andhra Chief Minister has said is a matter of serious concern. A detailed enquiry is required and the culprit should be punished," Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of a global food regulators summit here.

During an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday, Naidu claimed that the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making laddus.

TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy in a press conference on Thursday in Amaravati claimed that the adulteration has been confirmed by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory, on the ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.

He displayed the purported lab report which apparently confirmed the presence of "beef tallow", "lard" and "fish oil" in the given ghee sample.

The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024 and the lab report was dated July 16.

However, there was no official confirmation on the lab report from either the Andhra Pradesh government or the TTD.

YSRCP leaders have denied the allegations.

Health Minister J P Nadda, also present at the event, said he would address the issue during a press conference later in the day.