Tirupati laddu row: 'Naidu spreading blatant lies', says former CM Jagan Reddy after SC order

Addressing a press conference following the apex court's decision, Jagan Reddy said, "The Supreme Court condemned CM Chandrababu Naidu's comments, which hurt the sentiments of Hindus, and cautioned against using religious matters for political drama. The SIT formed by the CM has also been halted."

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday (October 4) launched a scathing attack on incumbent CM Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of spreading "blatant lies" regarding the use of animal fat in the making of Tirupati laddus. Reddy's comments came after the Supreme Court ordered a fresh probe and set up a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations.

Addressing a press conference following the apex court's decision, Jagan Reddy said, "The Supreme Court condemned CM Chandrababu Naidu's comments, which hurt the sentiments of Hindus, and cautioned against using religious matters for political drama. The SIT formed by the CM has also been halted."

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan directed that the newly formed independent SIT would include two officials each from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Andhra Pradesh Police, as well as a senior official from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Reddy further attacked Naidu, accusing him of damaging the sanctity of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) and its prasadam. "The courts questioned CM Chandrababu Naidu for making baseless allegations on TTD, and now the truth has come out," he said.

The controversy began when Naidu alleged that animal fat was used in preparing the Tirupati laddus during the previous YSRCP regime, sparking a political storm.

Reddy called for Naidu to feel "ashamed" of spreading misinformation, saying, "A robust system is in place at TTD for manufacturing prasadam, with multiple quality checks to ensure no tanker with unfit ingredients is used. Naidu's claims are baseless and misleading."