The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, held a marathon three-and-a-half-hour session on Tuesday to discuss the CBI-SIT report regarding the desecration of the sacred Tirumala Laddu Prasadam. The meeting focused on the alleged use of adulterated ghee containing animal fats during the previous government’s tenure. Taking the findings seriously, the Cabinet decided to constitute a high-level committee to identify the masterminds behind the scam and initiate stringent legal action, asserting that protecting the sanctity of the Tirumala temple is the government’s foremost priority.
Following the meeting, ministers Payyavula Keshav, Nadendla Manohar, and Satya Kumar Yadav detailed the CBI’s findings to the media, labeling the incident as a “grave sin” against millions of Hindu devotees. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav revealed that the 11-page report highlights deliberate lapses between 2019 and 2024, including the relaxation of procurement rules to favor inexperienced suppliers. The report explicitly mentions that despite a 2022 lab report confirming adulteration, former TTD officials and board members allegedly suppressed the information to benefit specific contractors.
The ministers further alleged that the previous YSRCP government compromised the temple’s purity for a corruption scheme worth approximately ₹250 crore. They pointed out that while the current NDA government has conducted quality tests 12 to 15 times since taking office, the previous administration failed to send samples for testing even once after the 2022 report. The Cabinet, after consulting with the Advocate General, vowed that no one—including high-ranking officials like former EOs and board chairmen named in the report—would be spared for playing with the faith of the devotees.
