Tirupati laddu row: Amul refutes claims of supplying ghee to Tirupati Temple

The issue has now reached the courts, with senior YSRCP leader Y V Subba Reddy filing a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Amul, a prominent Indian dairy brand, issued a clarification on September 20, denying any involvement in supplying ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).

In a statement, Amul addressed social media rumours that claimed the company had been providing ghee to the temple. “We wish to clarify that Amul has never supplied ghee to TTD,” the company said, further stating that their ghee is produced from high-quality milk in ISO-certified facilities.

"Amul Ghee is made purely from milk fat, which undergoes stringent quality checks, including adulteration tests in line with FSSAI standards. This clarification aims to put an end to the misinformation campaign against Amul," the statement added.

Issued in Public Interest by Amul pic.twitter.com/j7uobwDtJI
Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) September 20, 2024

The controversy began on September 18 when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous government, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, of using substandard ingredients and animal fat in the preparation of the sacred Tirupati laddoos. Naidu alleged that even the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati had not been spared.

TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy also claimed that a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory had confirmed the presence of beef tallow, lard, and fish oil in the ghee samples used by TTD, based on a report he displayed during a press conference.

The issue has now reached the courts, with senior YSRCP leader Y V Subba Reddy filing a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. Additionally, a separate petition has been filed in the Supreme Court, arguing that such actions violate fundamental Hindu religious customs and deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees.