The Tirupati Laddu contamination is the news of the nation now. The national media and the local media are coming up with stories on the contaminated laddu. This has been happening for the past one week across the country.
While the TDP was able to convince the Telugu media on the issue, the BJP played its role to convince the national media. Stories were cooked up and spread across pointing an accusing finger at former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Telugu media went several steps ahead to blame Jagan Mohan Reddy in the case.
But the fact is that the contaminated ghee was not used in the temple for preparation of laddus. This was admitted by TTD executive officer J Shyamala Rao, who spoke to Prasad Nichenametla of The Print, website. Four containers, two each, arrived at the Tirumala on July 6 and 12 were sent back to the supplier and they were not used. This happened after the initial quality test at the Tirumala by the TTD officials. Later, the same samples were sent to the National Dairy Development Board, which confirmed animal fat in the ghee.
When the contaminated ghee was sent back and not used for the preparation of laddus, where is the question of laddus contamination? Shyamala Rao is not the man of Jagan Mohan Reddy. He was appointed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. When Shyamala Rao says that the contaminated ghee was sent back to the supplier why are Chandrababu Naidu and others making hue and cry about contamination?
Well, the ghee containers arrived on July 6 and 12. Jagan Mohan Reddy was not the chief minister then. It was Chandrababu Naidu who was the chief minister. If that ghee was used and laddus were prepared, then who is responsible? The man in the chief minister post or the man who vacated the chief minister post in the first week of June, immediately after the elections?
Jagan Mohan Reddy had supplied quality food for the children in the Anganwadis and schools as mid-day meals. Can anyone expect the same Jagan Mohan Reddy to supply poor quality of laddus at Tirumala for the devotees is a big question that Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan should answer.
Jagan Mohan Reddy was more religious than Chandrababu Naidu. We have seen Naidu breaking coconuts or offering prayers or laying foundation stones wearing shoes. But we never saw Jagan Mohan Reddy doing the same with his footwear. He leaves his footwear and worships or offers prayers with devotion. Can we expect such a leader to supply lower grade or contaminated Laddus to crores of devotees, who treat laddu next only to God!
As it is said, it was not the Laddu that was contaminated. It was the politics of Andhra Pradesh that are contaminated and need something to be done. It is high time that the media and politicians stop speaking about the contamination of Laddu, before the devotees revolt and set the things in order.
Gopi Dara
Senior Journalist
