Tirumala Laddu Row: No Animal Fat in Ghee, SIT Findings Reveal

The latest findings in the Tirumala laddu ghee case have brought a major twist to the controversy that erupted during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government. The CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly found that the ghee used for Tirumala laddus did not contain animal fat such as beef tallow or lard.

The SIT has submitted a supplementary chargesheet before the Nellore ACB Court. According to the report, laboratory tests did not establish the presence of animal fat in the ghee samples.

The findings are significant for former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had faced political criticism over the controversy. The latest findings have once again raised questions over the allegations made against the previous government.

The report said samples tested at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Haryana did not show the presence of animal fat. Tests conducted at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysuru also did not confirm animal fat in the samples.

The SIT also referred to the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) report, which reportedly stated that animal fat was not present in the ghee.

The issue had become a major political controversy after allegations were made that animal fat was used in the preparation of the sacred Tirumala laddu. The allegations triggered a heated political debate in Andhra Pradesh and raised concerns among devotees.

The latest SIT findings have now provided fresh support to the position taken by YS Jagan and the YSRCP, which had questioned the claims surrounding animal fat in the Tirumala laddu ghee.

With multiple laboratory reports cited in the investigation pointing to the absence of animal fat, the Tirumala laddu controversy is once again back in the political spotlight.