YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cancelled his scheduled visit to Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirumala Hills on Saturday alleging police highhandedness and slamming the BJP for supporting Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who he accused of spreading misinformation about laddu prasadam for petty political gains.

The former chief minister wanted to atone for the sins of Naidu for allegedly tarnishing the sanctity of the holy shrine with his insinuation about laddu prasadam purportedly prepared with adulterated ghee containing ‘animal fat’. However, the TDP said Y S Jagan cancelled the visit as he did not want to furnish the declaration of faith to the deity at Tirumala that has to be given by people who belong to faiths other than Hinduism.

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Reddy was slated to reach Tirupati in the evening and leave for Tirumala Hills on the same night and visit the temple in the morning. There was tension in the temple town as district police served notices to the YSRCP leaders and cadres threatening to book them under Article 30 of the Police Act as the programme did not have approval from the government while various organisations protested against Reddy’s visit to the shrine.

Cancelling his visit to Tirumala, Reddy held a prolonged press conference accusing the state government of preventing him from going for a darshan.

“For the first time in this state and possibly in the country, people have been barred from visiting temples. This notice served to MLAs and cadres says ‘the ex-chief minister YS Jagan Reddy visiting TTD and that programme does not have the approval of the government and if a worker participates, cases would be booked against him’.”

Reddy also played video recordings of Naidu making the allegation that the adulterated ghee of laddu prasadam contained ‘animal fat’ and that of the executive officer (EO) of TTD who clarified the adulterated ghee was never used to prepare the laddu prasadam.

Reddy asked the BJP, “If you are truly representative of Hindutva as you claim how you support a person, who is tarnishing the sanctity of the temple and laddu prasadam for political gains just because he is part of the NDA. Naidu should be sent to prison.”

“Worse still is the BJP joining the bandwagon, its leaders from Telangana have come down to deviate the issue from laddu prasadam to my declaration. What is my religion? I reiterate, that in the four walls of my house, I read the Bible. When I go out, I am a Hindu, a Muslim, and a Sikh. Humanity is my religion.”

Ahead of Jagan’s visit to Tirumala, Chandrababu Naidu issued a fervent appeal to people, saying, “My sincere request to all pilgrims is that no devotee should act against the sentiments and temple rituals.”

His party launched a more direct attack. “Why are you hesitating to sign the Declaration of Faith before entering Tirumala? If you truly respect Lord Venkateswara Swamy and Hindu sentiments, there should be no hesitation,” said Jyothsna Tirunagari of TDP.