Attacks on YSRCP leaders despicable

31 Jan, 2026 17:48 IST

Tadepalli, Jan 31: Former Deputy Speaker and former MLA Kona Raghupathi strongly condemned the attacks on YSRCP leaders, calling them shameful and undemocratic, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan of indulging in reckless politics in the name of Lord Venkateswara. Speaking to the media at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said the so-called “adulterated ghee” controversy around Tirumala laddu was fabricated without any complaint, report, or basis, and was driven purely by political malice, with no fear of God or respect for devotees’ sentiments.

Kona Raghupathi said that soon after coming to power, the ruling coalition deliberately planted the seed of this conspiracy by making irresponsible allegations about laddu ghee, dragging the deity himself into political controversy, solely to undermine the public trust enjoyed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. He noted that when former TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy approached the Supreme Court seeking the truth, the court ordered an investigation, and the findings completely exposed the falsehood of the allegations. Prestigious national institutions such as the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) clearly confirmed that no animal fat was present in the ghee used for laddu preparation, a fact that was also recorded in the CBI SIT charge sheet.
Despite these conclusive findings, he said, Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, and their allies continue to deny the truth, spread fresh falsehoods, erect defamatory flex banners with photos of YSRCP leaders, and incite violence. He pointed to recent attacks on senior leaders, including attempts to disrupt a yajna by Bhumana Karunakar Reddy in Tirupati, an attack on former minister Vidadala Rajini, and the violent assault on former minister Ambati Rambabu in Guntur.
Kona Raghupathi demanded that Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan immediately stop this politics of deceit, accept the truth, and publicly apologise to Lord Venkateswara’s devotees and Hindus for maligning the sacred laddu and exploiting faith for political gain, stating that such an apology alone would amount to true atonement.