A devotee has alleged that she found tobacco wrapped in paper inside a laddu that was given to her as prasadam (religious offering) at the famed Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. The development comes after allegations of animal fat found in the laddus kicked up a major political row in Andhra Pradesh.
Donthu Padmavati, a resident of Khammam district, said she discovered the tobacco after her visit to the Tirupati temple on September 19. Like other devotees, Padmavati brought back the prasadam to share with her family and neighbours.
"As I was about to distribute the laddu, I was horrified to find pieces of tobacco wrapped in a small paper," Padmavati shared, expressing her anguish. "The prasadam is supposed to be sacred, and to find such contamination is heartbreaking," she further said.
The revelation has sent shockwaves among the lakhs of Tirupati devotees, coming on the heels of allegations that animal fat was found in the ghee used in the preparation of the laddus. The Tirupati laddu, a much-revered offering, has long been a symbol of purity and devotion for millions of pilgrims. However, these recent claims have led to growing doubts about the quality control measures in place at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the trust responsible for managing the temple.
The controversy came under the spotlight after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed last week that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were discovered in the laddus served as prasad at Tirupati temple during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy's government.
Referring to a private lab report from Gujarat, Naidu alleged the presence of "beef tallow," "lard" (relating to pig fat) and fish oil in the ghee.
However, former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy denied the claims, stating that no violation occurred under his regime. Reddy also blamed Naidu for doing "politics in the name of God," and called the Chief Minister "a pathological and habitual liar."
