The guilty must not be spared: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tirupati laddu row

New Delhi:  Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, on Friday, said that the use of animal fat in the iconic Tirupati laddu is an attack on the faith of millions of people, and whoever is found guilty of desecration must not be spared.

While speaking to IANS, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: “This is a direct attack on people’s faith. It is a case of betrayal, and it is very clear that this has been done through a well-planned conspiracy. With business interests in mind, the faith of millions has been hurt. This is a betrayal, and those responsible must be punished.”

Regarding the questions raised about Andhra Pradesh’s former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naqvi said: “Whoever is guilty should not be spared as this is an attack on the faith of millions of people. They have betrayed the trust of devotees, and this is something that cannot be forgiven.”

On September 18, reports emerged that the laddu distributed at Tirupati Tirumala Temple was adulterated. The National Dairy Development Board confirmed that the laddu contained animal fat.

After this report was released, Chandrababu Naidu’s government stated that the previous government, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, had played with the faith of Hindus. They said that the sanctity of the temple had been harmed, and people’s trust was betrayed massively. Naidu added that his government had stopped such practices, and the report that surfaced now dates back to July.

According to the report, the prasadam laddu contained a mix of various oils and fats, including soybean, sunflower, olive, rapeseed, flaxseed, wheat germ, maize, cottonseed, fish oil, coconut, palm kernel fat, palm oil, beef tallow, and lard.

These substances are not suitable for use in temple prasad, especially given the religious significance of the offering to devotees.

The controversy has led to widespread anger and demands for strict action against those responsible for this adulteration. Many believe that it is a deliberate attempt to harm the faith of millions of devotees who visit Tirupati Temple every year.

–IANS