Tirupati effect: Uttarakhand launches drive to monitor quality of ghee-butter
The State Food and Drugs Department directed all its district officials to ensure that ghee and butter sold across the state meet the standards of the department.
Former TTD chairman and YSRCP leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy was detained by police Monday as he tried to take a vow at the Tirumala temple over the ongoing controversy on alleged animal fat in the adulterated ghee used to make the laddus for the prasadam.
A former MLA of Tirupati, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy was the TTD chairman when the tenders for the adulterated ghee were approved.
While Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the incident of adulteration of ghee which he implied was used to make the laddu prasadam, the YSRCP leaders have denied saying the ingredient was never used to make the laddus and the entire batch from the supplier was turned away.
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The matter has now reached the Supreme Court with another former chairman of TTD YV Subba Reddy and BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy requesting an independent probe by a retired judge on the issue.
Bhumana Karunakar Reddy today took a dip in the pushkarini (pond) in the Tirumala premises and made way to the Akhilanda for taking his vow when he was stopped by police. He tried to take the vow while performing the arti when the police intervened and tried to drag him away.
He told them he was not taking part in any political activity and merely taking a vow. He said, “If I have done wrong, my family and I would be destroyed” as part of his oath. The YSRCP posed a challenge for Chief Minister Naidu and Nara Lokesh on social media asking them to “take similar oath” over laddu prasadam.
Meanwhile, priests performed a ‘maha shani homam’ as a part of the temple purification rituals after the controversy over the laddu hit the headlines. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also began his 11-day long Deeksha to atone the sins while blaming the previous YSRCP regime for the use of adulterated ghee in the laddus.
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