Changed ghee brand behind 'animal fat in Tirupati laddoo' controversy?
Hyderabad: Massive controversy has erupted surrounding a recent lab report confirming Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's claims regarding the quality of ghee used for Tirupati laddoos during the YSR Congress Party's regime. The report revealed the presence of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig) in the ghee samples. This revelation has also brought the focus regarding the halt in the supply of the renowned Nandini ghee last year.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board, responsible for managing the temple, typically sources 5 lakh kg of ghee annually through tenders issued every six months. However, the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government ceased sourcing Nandini ghee last year from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) after nearly 15 years, citing pricing disputes. KMF chairman Bheema Naik previously stated that the laddoos will not be the same anymore, emphasising the quality assurance that Nandini ghee provides.
Daily production of approximately 3.5 lakh laddoos at Tirupati requires substantial quantities of high-quality ingredients, including 400-500 kg of ghee, 750 kg of cashew nuts, and 200 kg of cardamom, with each laddoo costing around Rs 40 to produce.
Meanwhile, in response to the lab findings regarding the ghee's composition, a four member committee has been established by the TTD to keep a check on the ghee procured by the shrine. The committee will additionally advise on terms and conditions to be included for procuring quality ghee.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
