Hindu groups, seers protest Tirumala ghee ‘adulteration’

HYderabad Several hindustani spiritual organisations on tues staged a resist at foothills of Tirumala hills in Tirupati territorial dominion, alleging mismanagement in Tirumala by the previous regime of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The stir erupted after the Central Bureau of Investigtion (CBI)-led special investigation team (SIT) submitted a report in Nellore court regarding the alleged supply of adulterated ghee to TTD.Prominent participants in the protest included Sadhu Sant Coordination Committee convenor Atluri Narayana Rao, Sivakameswari Peetham seer Sivananda Swami, Rajeswarananda Swami, Kala Bhairaveswara Swami, Neelakantha, Anjali Mataji, Om Shri Mataji and representatives of various Hindu organisations.Addressing protesters, Narayana Rao said adulteration of laddu prasadam was not a mere administrative lapse but a grave offence that wounded the faith of millions. He alleged that incidents reported in Tirumala over the past five years were part of deliberate conspiracies and called for a fast-track court to ensure swift punishment to the accused.The organisations also demanded a probe by a sitting judge into all alleged irregularities and conspiracies in Tirumala during the period under scrutiny. “We want strict punishment for those responsible and long-term institutional safeguards to protect the sanctity of Tirumala’s sacred traditions,” Rao said.Tirumala Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt head Shathagopa Ramanuja Pedda Jeeyar Swamy on Monday wrote a letter to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and conveyed deep anguish over the ghee adulteration issue.Referring to confirmation by the SIT report regarding the alleged use of adulterated ghee in laddu preparation, the seer said the development caused severe shock and emotional distress to devotees.“Tirupati laddu prasadam symbolises the spiritual faith of millions and that any compromise in its preparation amounted to a grave impropriety. The continued use of allegedly adulterated ghee even after awareness of the issue is against dharma and reflects extreme irresponsibility,” he said.The seer expressed confidence that the chief minister would establish a robust system to prevent such lapses in future and safeguard the sanctity of temple rituals.Sri Embar Jeeyar Swamy of Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu also voiced strong concern, describing the alleged use of adulterated ghee in Tirumala prasadam as a “grave injustice” to devotees.In a video message, he said that any compromise in the purity of the Tirupati laddu amounts to a “heinous act driven by greed.” He also urged the Centre to initiate strict action against those involved and called on the Andhra Pradesh government to constitute a permanent monitoring committee for TTD.Sampathkumara Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji of the Mannargudi Mutt warned that the alleged adulteration during the previous regime could have affected the health of lakhs of devotees. He demanded severe punishment for those responsible and a comprehensive probe to ascertain whether adulteration extended to other temple-related activities.Sri Vidya Srisha Tirtha Swamiji, head of Vyasaraja Math in Karnataka, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing deep sorrow and urging both the Central and state governments to take firm action, stating that any lapse in preparing Tirumala laddu deeply hurt Hindu sentiments worldwide.Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun investigation into the Tirumala ghee adulteration case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), people familiar with the matter said.The ED has registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR), based on the final charge sheet filed by the SIT, which details an alleged nexus involving private dairy firms, intermediaries and TTD officials.The charge sheet pointed out alleged hawala-based cash transactions and illegal gratification paid by private dairy operators to the TTD officials to influence ghee procurement tenders and quality clearances.Forensic analysis of mobile phones, WhatsApp chats and Excel records purportedly revealed documented payments routed through cash couriers and hawala operators to senior officials, including the then general manager (procurement) at TTD, along with smaller sums to other functionaries.The chargesheet claims that ineligible dairies secured tenders by submitting forged documents such as fabricated experience certificates, manipulated Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) returns and falsified laboratory reports, often by quoting unviable low rates.It accused the TTD officials are accused of overlooking discrepancies in exchange for bribes and issuing favourable inspection reports. “The ED will be probing the case in the money laundering angle,” an official in the endowments department said.