The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has categorically rejected claims that a CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT) has given it a clean chit in the alleged adulterated ghee case, calling such reports “completely false” and misleading. The temple body said the very contents of the SIT chargesheet point to grave violations in procurement processes and the use of synthetic or fake substances in ghee supplied for the preparation of Srivari laddus.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, TTD Chairman B R Naidu said a false narrative was being circulated by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to create the impression that the issue had been closed. He asserted that there was no exoneration in the case and that the findings recorded in the chargesheet clearly indicate serious wrongdoing.
Naidu said the chargesheet itself documents that adulteration had indeed taken place and that established ghee procurement norms were deliberately bypassed. According to him, these violations were carried out to benefit select entities, and attempts are now being made to mislead devotees by suggesting that investigators had ruled out any malpractice.
Alleging large-scale manipulation during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure, the TTD chairman claimed that tender conditions were altered to favour certain firms that lacked even the basic infrastructure required to produce pure ghee. He alleged that companies without cattle, production facilities or manufacturing capacity were awarded contracts solely for the purpose of earning commissions.
Naidu further claimed that nearly 60 lakh kilograms of adulterated ghee, valued at around ₹250 crore, was procured and subsequently used in the preparation of an estimated 20 crore Srivari laddus. He cited test results from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which, he said, detected the presence of animal fat in the ghee supplied during that period.
The controversy first erupted in September 2024 after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal fat had been mixed into the laddus during the earlier YSRCP regime, a charge the party has consistently denied. Following the allegations, a court-directed SIT was constituted to examine procurement records, supply chains and quality-testing mechanisms related to the ghee used by TTD.
According to details emerging from the SIT report, the adulterated ghee was allegedly prepared by blending palm oil, palm kernel oil and palmolein, along with chemicals such as beta-carotene, acetic acid ester and artificial ghee flavour. These additives, the report said, were used to mimic the taste and aroma of genuine ghee and to pass laboratory checks. Test reports confirmed that samples collected by TTD were largely composed of palm-based oils rather than pure ghee.
Describing the alleged use of such ghee as a serious insult to religious faith, Naidu said the matter went far beyond administrative negligence and amounted to a “commission-driven scam” that deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees. He also raised concerns about potential health risks, stating that some of the substances found in the ghee could be harmful.
Holding the previous YSRCP leadership politically accountable, the TTD chairman alleged that the temple administration had been systematically misused over the last five years. He demanded an apology from those responsible and called for strict accountability.
Naidu also stressed the need for micro DNA testing to establish the “complete truth” and urged investigators to examine financial trails linked to the case, including alleged benami transactions. He said the issue surfaced only after the TDP-led government assumed office in 2024 and reiterated that there would be zero compromise when it comes to protecting the sanctity of Tirumala and the purity of the Srivari laddu.
