Jagan should give undertaking that he believes in Lord of the Seven Hills: Andhra Minister

Minister for Finance Payyavula Keshav on Wednesday said former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy should give an undertaking that he believes in the presiding deity of the Tirumala temple during his visit on September 28 if he really respects Hindu traditions and practices.

“That Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy is a non-believer is evident from the fact that he had always presented silk robes to the deity at Tirumala on auspicious occasions without being accompanied by his wife,” he said, terming it a mockery of Hindu customs. Mr. Keshav alleged that Mr. Jagan only pretended to have devotion for the Lord of the Seven Hills.

Addressing media persons at the Secretariat, Mr. Keshav said there was irrefutable evidence of the adulteration of ghee used in the preparation of the Tirumala Prasadam, but Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy would not admit the same for obvious reasons. It was because Mr. Jagan was a non-believer that he turned a blind eye to the poor quality of ingredients used to make the Laddu Prasadam, Mr. Keshav alleged.

Even worse was the adulteration of ghee with animal fat (apparently to bring down the cost) during the term of the TTD Trust Board constituted by the YSRCP government, he alleged. This was established beyond doubt by the National Dairy Development Board, Mr. Keshav said, adding that the SIT would bring to light what happened and the people behind it.

The Minister said Mr. Jagan politicised the Tirumala Prasadam controversy, and, by doing so, he demonstrated his obsession with deriving political mileage out of sensitive matters. During the YSRCP rule, a huge number of recommendation letters were issued by the TTD management as the world famous temple was at that time considered a “business centre”. 

There was an instance when TTD former executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy snubbed a TTD Trust Board member from north India when the latter expressed suspicion about the procurement of ghee for as low as ₹320, the Minister added.

Published - September 25, 2024 08:12 pm IST