*Adulteration drama staged for Heritage profits; CM has no moral right to speak of devotion*

Tadepalli, Feb 23: YSRCP State Spokesperson and MLA Tatiparthi Chandrasekhar launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, that the entire “adulterated ghee” controversy surrounding Tirumala laddu prasadam was orchestrated solely to benefit the Heritage group. Speaking at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said the price of ghee supplied to TTD was increased from Rs. 321 per kg to Rs. 658 per kg only to favour Heritage-linked Indapur Dairy. He questioned why Tirumala is purchasing ghee at Rs. 658 when the same product is reportedly available in Telangana for around Rs. 550, and demanded an explanation for what he termed an unjustified escalation.
Chandrasekhar stated the Chief Minister making baseless and “impure” allegations against the sacred laddu prasadam for business gain, and said the diversionary campaign was meant to cover up financial irregularities. He stated that despite the CBI SIT charge sheet clearly saying no animal fat was found in the ghee used for laddu preparation, Chandrababu continued to spread misinformation, even alleging the presence of bathroom-cleaning chemicals. He said instead of apologising to devotees and the deity after the SIT findings, the Chief Minister resorted to counterattacks to suppress exposure of financial dealings.
The MLA also responded to allegations that YSRCP MLCs committed sacrilege by carrying images of Lord Venkateswara in the Council. He said the members removed their footwear before staging their protest and accused the ruling party and its aligned media of circulating selective and misleading visuals. He displayed photographs claiming that Chandrababu himself has repeatedly performed pujas, homams, foundation ceremonies and religious rituals without removing footwear, asserting that the Chief Minister has no moral authority to question anyone’s devotion. He further alleged that Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan have followed similar practices.
Chandrasekhar said Heritage’s claim that it does not supply ghee in bulk to temples is contradicted by records showing that in 2002, when Chandrababu was Chief Minister, Heritage participated in TTD tenders for over 13 lakh litres of ghee at prices ranging from ₹90 to ₹140 per kg. He said that the foundation for Heritage’s entry into the TTD ghee business was laid decades ago. He also pointed out that Indapur Dairy was described as a Heritage manufacturing unit on the company’s website, along with associated images, and that the description was later altered to “co-manufacturing unit” after YSRCP exposed the link.
Questioning the doubling of the ghee price from Rs.321 to Rs. 658, he asked whether the government could justify the steep hike when bulk rates available online and in neighbouring states are significantly lower. He further alleged that the CBI SIT charge sheet mentioned instances where ghee tankers that failed quality checks were allegedly reintroduced, raising serious concerns about accountability during the current administration. He said companies such as Bole Baba, Premier, and A.R. Dairy were linked to supply decisions made during Chandrababu’s tenure and questioned why discussion in the Legislative Council is being avoided if the government has nothing to hide.
Chandrasekhar also criticised the Home Minister for defending Heritage, questioning whether she serves the state or the Chief Minister’s family interests, and said it is inappropriate for a constitutional office holder to repeatedly speak in defence of a private company. He accused the government of attempting to silence critics with notices while shielding alleged irregularities.
Recalling that former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy issued GO 746 in June 2007 formally recognising the Seven Hills of Tirumala under TTD jurisdiction across 322 square kilometres and strengthening the temple’s sanctity, Chandrasekhar alleged that Chandrababu had earlier questioned the need for the SVBC devotional channel and has consistently undermined the temple’s dignity. He concluded that the ghee controversy is a manufactured narrative intended to divert attention from alleged financial gain for Heritage, and demanded that the Chief Minister apologise to devotees and agree to a full debate in the Legislative Council on the links between Heritage and Indapur Dairy.