Tadepalli, Feb 25: YSRCP MLA Tatiparthi Chandrasekhar launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of converting the Assembly—“a temple of democracy”—into a stage for falsehoods and public deception. Speaking at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he stated that Chandrababu, along with Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and Minister Lokesh, misled the House with baseless claims while evading serious questions on the Tirumala laddu controversy, Heritage–Indapur links, and ghee tender irregularities.
Chandrasekhar described Chandrababu as an “emperor of lies” who, without evidence or devotion, made reckless allegations in the Assembly regarding the Tirumala laddu issue. He said the adulteration controversy was a deliberately planted narrative aimed at enabling financial gain through dairy contracts. He questioned how ghee priced at Rs. 321 per kg earlier was escalated to Rs. 658 per kg, tender norms were diluted to favor Indapur, linked to Heritage, despite the 800-kilometer eligibility condition. He asked why the same company supplying ghee at Rs. 560 per liter in Hyderabad was awarded massive contracts at Rs. 658 per kg for TTD.
He further stated that once the “dairy thread” was pulled, a network of links connecting Heritage, Indapur, Bhole Baba, Sangam Dairy, and Vaishnavi Dairy surfaced. He questioned how tankers rejected for quality were reintroduced into Tirumala two months later and used in laddu preparation. He demanded answers on why multiple TTD Executive Officers were replaced during the controversy and why Heritage altered references to Indapur as its manufacturing unit on its website soon after facts were exposed. He also questioned the sudden removal of certain names and images from company portals and dairy gates, suggesting attempts to erase evidence.
The MLA said the CBI-SIT clearly stated that no animal fat, fish oil, or pig fat was found in the ghee, yet Chandrababu continued repeating the allegation by selectively quoting the NDDB report while ignoring its disclaimers. He demanded that the Chief Minister apologize at the feet of Lord Venkateswara for hurting the sentiments of millions of devotees. He accused Chandrababu of using religion as a political weapon because he could not politically confront YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Responding to claims that Heritage never supplied to temples or government institutions, Chandrasekhar cited Heritage’s own statements acknowledging participation in tenders between 2014–19 and ghee bids for TTD in 2002–2004 at rates between ₹113 and ₹117 per kg. He alleged that Heritage changed colors like a chameleon, operating under different dairy names while remaining centrally controlled.
On the “Seven Hills” issue, he refuted allegations that YS Rajasekhara Reddy reduced Tirumala to two hills. He explained that G.O. 338 of 2005 was issued to prevent political activity on the hill after legal disputes and that YSR later expanded TTD’s notified area to 332 square kilometers in 2007, strengthening sanctity. He cited historical records from the British era, 1965 government orders, and the Challa Kondayya Commission under N.T. Rama Rao confirming the 10.33 square mile extent. He accused Chandrababu of deliberately misrepresenting facts for years with the support of partisan media.
He also rebutted allegations regarding RTC bus tickets carrying religious content, stating that the order permitting advertisements on tickets was issued on 05-03-2019 during Chandrababu’s tenure, not under YS Jagan’s government. He termed it unfair to shift blame.
Highlighting temple development, Chandrasekhar said that under YS Jagan’s government, 5,263 temples were sanctioned with ₹664 crore through the Srivani Trust, with 939 completed and many others in progress—far exceeding any temple construction record during TDP rule. He questioned whether demolishing the thousand-pillared mandapam could be called Hindutva.
Turning to the Veligonda project, he accused Chandrababu of falsely claiming credit. He stated that the project gained momentum under YSR with over ₹3,300 crore spent, major land acquisition completed, and tunnels advanced significantly. Between 2004–2010 nearly ₹4,000 crore was spent, with substantial tunnel excavation achieved under YSR. He said Chandrababu completed only a limited portion during his tenure, while YS Jagan later completed both tunnels and dedicated them to the nation in 2024. He challenged Chandrababu to release a white paper detailing allocations and actual expenditure during his tenure, alleging that announced budgets were rarely fully spent and key works like head regulators, feeder canals, R&R clearances, and land acquisition remain incomplete.
Chandrasekhar concluded that the pattern—from dairy tenders to temple politics to irrigation projects—reveals a strategy of diverting attention through allegations while avoiding accountability. He reiterated that Chandrababu must answer the questions raised and apologize to devotees for politicizing Tirumala.
*YSRCP flays coalition for false propaganda*
