Tirupati laddu row: Declare faith before entering Tirumala, BJP tells Jagan

Hyderabad: YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala Hills and offer prayers on September 28. Responding to the announcement, the BJP's state unit demanded that he declare his faith before entering the hill shrine.

As per the rules, non-Hindu visitors must voluntarily inform the administration about their religion, declare faith in Lord Sri Venkateswara and seek special permission to enter the temple.

As Jagan is a devout Christian, he has to sign the declaration form. There were controversies in the past during YSRCP's tenure between 2019 and 2024 whenever Jagan visited Tirumala temple, as the opposition accused he had never signed the declaration form.

Now, BJP state president and Rajahmundry MP Daggupati Purandeswari demanded that Jagan declare his faith at Alipiri even before he mounts the Tirumala hill shrine.

Jagan's first visit to Tirumala as chief minister in 2020 to offer silk robes to the presiding deity as part of the annual Brahmotsavams caused a row due to the Christian faith he practices. 

It is a tradition for the chief minister to offer silk robes on the Garuda Seva day of the nine-day Brahmotsavams fete at the shrine. 

The issue later subsided with the TTD Board exempting chief ministers from signing such a declaration form, and he has since visited the Tirumala temple multiple times. It will also be Jagan's first visit to Tirumala temple after he lost power in the May assembly elections to the TDP-led NDA alliance.

Jagan’s office on Wednesday said he will reach Tirumala on the night of Friday, September 27, and will offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara the following day, September 28, Saturday.

TN dairy booked for ghee adulteration

Tirupati Police registered a case against Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Pvt Ltd, which is at the centre of the Tirupati laddu prasadam controversy.

On Wednesday, TTD formally lodged a complaint with Tirupati East police alleging that AR Dairy had supplied ghee adulterated with vegetable oils and animal fats.

While the AR Dairy had denied the accusation, TTD in its complaint said a NDDB lab report confirmed traces of animal fat in the ghee that was supposed to be used in making laddu prasadam.

TTD’s procurement general manager P Muralikrishna said notices were issued three times and the diary representatives sent a reply on September 4, denying adulteration.