Hyderabad Several Hindu religious organizations on Tuesday protested at the foothills of Tirumala Hills in Tirumala district, alleging mismanagement of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) in Tirumala by the previous government. The stir erupted after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted a report in the Nellore court alleging supply of adulterated ghee to TTD.
Hindu groups, seers protest ‘adulteration’ of Tirumala gheeConvenor of Sadhu Sant Coordination Committee Atluri Narayan Rao, Sivakameswari Peetham seer Sivananda Swamy, Rajeshwarananda Swami, Kala Bhairaveshwar Swami, Neelkantha, Anjali Mataji, Om Sri Mataji and representatives of various Hindu organizations were present in the protest.
Addressing the protestors, Narayan Rao said adulteration in laddu prasadam was not a mere administrative error but a grave crime that has hurt the faith of millions. He alleged that the incidents reported in Tirumala in the last five years were part of a deliberate conspiracy and called for a speedy trial court to ensure speedy punishment of the accused.
The organizations have demanded a probe by a sitting judge into all alleged irregularities and conspiracies in Tirumala during the investigation period. “We seek strict punishment for those responsible and long-term institutional protection to protect the sanctity of the sacred heritage of Tirumala,” Rao said.
Tirumala Pedda Jeongar Mutt chief Shatagopa Ramanuja Pedda Jiya’s husband wrote a letter to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday and expressed deep anger over the ghee adulteration issue.
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Referring to the confirmation by the SIT report on the allegations of adulterated ghee being used in making laddus, the seer said the development had caused severe shock and emotional distress to the devotees.
“Tirupati Laddu Prasadam is a symbol of spiritual faith of lakhs of people and any compromise in its preparation is grossly inappropriate. To continue using the alleged adulterated ghee despite being aware of this is against religion and reflects gross irresponsibility,” he said.
The seer expressed confidence that the Chief Minister would put in place a strong system to prevent such lapses in future and protect the sanctity of temple rituals.
Sri Embar Jiya’s Swami of Sriperamubudur in Tamil Nadu also expressed strong concern over the use of adulterated ghee in Tirumala Prasadam, describing it as a “gross injustice” to the devotees.
In a video message, he said that any compromise with the purity of Tirupati Laddu is a “heinous act driven by greed”. He also urged the Center to take strict action against those involved and urged the Andhra Pradesh government to constitute a permanent monitoring committee for TTD.
Sampathkumar Ramanuja Jiya Swamiji of Mannarguri Mutt warned that alleged adulteration during the previous regime could affect the health of millions of devotees. He demanded strict punishment of those responsible and a comprehensive probe to ensure that the adulteration extends to other temple-related activities.
Sri Vidya Srisha Tirtha Swamiji, the head of Vyasaraj Mutt in Karnataka, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing deep grief and urging both the central and state governments to take strong action, saying that any lapse in making Tirumala Laddu deeply hurts Hindu sentiments worldwide.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated an investigation into the Tirumala ghee adulteration case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), people familiar with the matter said.
The ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), based on the final chargesheet filed by the SIT, which details an alleged nexus involving private dairy firms, middlemen and TTD officials.
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The chargesheet mentions alleged hawala-based cash transactions and illegal gratifications given to TTD officials to influence procurement tenders and quality clearance of ghee by private dairy operators.
Forensic analysis of mobile phones, WhatsApp chats and Excel records allegedly revealed payments documented through cash couriers and hawala operators to senior officials, including the then General Manager (Procurement) of TTD and other officials.
The complaint alleged that ineligible dairies secured tenders by submitting fake documents such as fake experience certificates, manipulated Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) returns and false laboratory reports, often quoting useless low rates.
It accused TTD officials of ignoring irregularities and issuing favorable inspection reports in return for bribes. “The ED will investigate the case under the money laundering angle,” said an official of the endowments department.
