Tirumala Laddu Adulteration Row: YV Subba Reddy Demands Proof, Not Politics

YSRCP MP and former TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy has sharply condemned what he describes as a "deliberate and politically driven misinformation campaign" over the alleged adulteration of ghee used in Tirumala laddus. He said that despite the Supreme Court's warning to political parties to refrain from dragging Tirumala into political disputes, the issue is being turned into a partisan controversy.

Reddy said claims suggesting adulterated ghee or the presence of animal fat are being circulated without any scientific verification. "If I were at fault, why would I file a writ petition in the Supreme Court myself?" he asked, noting that he approached the court in public interest immediately after such allegations surfaced. He pointed out that the SIT probe ordered by the Supreme Court is still in progress and must be allowed to complete its work.

Reddy also questioned conflicting statements being made about tanker movements and their use. "Two basic questions still remain: did the suspect ghee tankers ever enter the laddu production process, and was animal fat present or not?" He said the TTD must issue one clear, authoritative statement rather than releasing inconsistent numbers.

He stressed that every ghee tanker undergoes mandatory laboratory testing - a system followed under both the TDP government (2014-19) and the YSRCP government. "If the suspicious tankers were rejected, then how could adulterated ghee enter laddu production?" he asked. Citing initial information from the SIT, he said that four questioned tankers from June-July 2024, procured during Chandrababu Naidu's administration, were allegedly reused later under different supplier names.

Reddy criticised the TTD management for releasing "partial data and speculative interpretations," which, he said, led to misleading reports claiming that 20 crore laddus were adulterated between 2019 and 2024. "There is no evidence for such claims," he clarified. On ghee pricing, he accused political rivals of distorting routine tender-based price variations, noting that lower ghee prices prevailed even during the TDP tenure.

He said he has formally requested the SIT to extend its probe to cover the last 10-15 years to ensure no specific political period is singled out. Defending his own term as TTD Chairman, he highlighted reforms such as strengthening the TTD ghee lab with NDDB support, ending L1/L2 VIP darshans, banning plastic in Tirumala, expanding goshalas, promoting organic products, using goshala ghee for naivedyam, releasing the first white paper on TTD assets, building nearly 2,500 temples in marginalised areas, and establishing a ₹350-crore paediatric hospital that has conducted nearly 3,000 free heart surgeries.

He also pointed to what he called "serious lapses" under the previous TDP government, including the placement of ₹1,200 crore of TTD funds in YES Bank and the Vaikunta Ekadashi stampede earlier this year.

Appealing for restraint, Reddy urged the government, TTD, and the media to "stop circulating unverified claims, release certified laboratory reports, and safeguard the sanctity of Tirumala."