Tirupati Laddoos Row: ‘Time To Constitute Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board,’ Says Andhra Dy CM Pawan Kalyan

New Delhi: Amid the controversy that erupted in Andhra Pradesh after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was used in Tirupati Temple laddoos during the previous YSRCP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday called for setting up a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ as the controversy snowballed.

“We are all deeply disturbed with the findings of animal fat (fish oil, pork fat and beef fat) mixed in Tirupathi Balaji Prasad. Many questions to be answered by the TTD board constituted by YCP Govt then,” the Jana Sena Party chief said in a post on X. He added that the Andhra government is committed to taking stringent action.

“… The time has come to constitute a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ at a National level to look into all the issues related to temples in entire Bharath,” the minister wrote. He said that there’s also a need for a “debate” among policy makers, religious heads, the judiciary, the citizens and the media among others.

Kalyan also said the findings  highlight issues surrounding “desecration of temples, its land issues” and related dharmic practices.

Earlier, the ruling Telugu Desam Party on Thursday claimed that the adulteration has been confirmed by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory. TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy at a press conference displayed the purported lab report which apparently confirmed the presence of ‘beef tallow’ in the given ghee sample, news agency PTI reported.

The purported lab report also claimed the presence of “lard” (relating to pig fat) and fish oil in the samples. The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024 and the lab report was dated July 16.

However, there was no official confirmation on the lab report from either the Andhra Pradesh government or the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, PTI reported.