New Delhi:

Ex-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Reddy and members of his YSR Congress, including Rajya Sabha MP Vijaysai Reddy, have been accused of illegally acquiring 41.12 per cent of shares in Kakinada Seaport Private Limited (KSPL), and 48.74 per cent in Kakinada Special Export Zone (KSEZ), for Rs 500 crore in 2020/21, when they were worth over Rs 3,600 crore.

A First Information Report, or FIR, has been filed against the YSRCP boss and his colleagues on basis of a complaint by Karnati Venkateswara Rao, Chairman and Managing Director of KSPL.

The shares, he alleged, were ‘bought’ by the YSRCP leaders – and routed via a company called Aurobindo Realty (now Auro Infra) – through “cheating, criminal intimidation, and conspiracy”.

According to the complainant, Y Vikranth Reddy, son of YSRCP leader YV Subba Reddy, had approached him “asking” that he part with his shares and claimed this was being demanded in the name of Jagan Mohan Reddy, then the Chief Minister.

He claimed that if he did not agree to the transfer of shares, there would be a “spate of criminal cases and vigilance enquiries, leading to his arrest and that of his family members”.

“I was also informed they will pay me a nominal amount for the transfer of my shareholdings. All my efforts to convince them proved futile,” Mr Rao alleged in the police complaint.

The FIR also names Sarath Chandra Reddy, a non-executive director of Aurobindo Pharma, which filed a note with the BSE this morning distancing itself, and Auro Infra Pvt Ltd, from ownership of, or connection with operations of, Kakinada Seaports and Kakinada SEZ.

“In this regard, we would like to clarify that (neither) Aurobindo Pharma Limited nor its subsidiaries are in any way connected with the ownership or operations of Kakinada Seaports Limited and Kakinada SEZ Limited, including Auro Infra Private Limited,” the company said.

Jagan Reddy has not yet reacted to the FIR, but senior YSRCP leader Kakani Govardhan Reddy, the former Food Processing Minister, refuted the allegations and claimed a “political vendetta”.

“It is clear this is part of a political vendetta… part of a game being played by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu (whose Telugu Desam Party defeated the YSRCP in the May election).”

“If they (Aurobindo Realty) wanted to acquire (the shares), they could have acquired the entire stake and taken control of the port. Why only a partial stake?” he asked, and also asked why Mr Rao, who continues to hold the majority stake, had waited nearly five years to make his claim.

Meanwhile, the issue has invited sharp attacks from the two main opposition parties – the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The former’s charge has been led by YS Sharmila, Jagan Reddy’s estranged sister. Ms Sharmila has accused leaders of her brother’s party of “harassing the port owner to give up stake”.

“This deal is made for 25 years, and the people of Andhra Pradesh have to pay power bills that are hiked… the burden will fall on every family… they are going to pay lakhs of rupees because the government failed to do anything about this scam,” she told reporters outside Parliament.

“The Congress is demanding that at least the central government do something and scrap this deal. An inquiry should Be conducted and guilty must be punished,” she said, pointing to similar allegations involving the YSRCP and the Krishnapatnam and Gangavaram ports.

The BJP’s CM Ramesh, the Lok Sabha MP from Andhra’s Anakapelle, told NDTV that the allegations against the former Chief Minister do not come as a surprise.

“When he became Chief Minister he threatened so many industries. Kakinada Port is just one of them… I know this story for the past five years. He threatened them, saying, ‘If you don’t want to sit behind bars then you transfer the shares.’,” Mr Ramesh alleged.

With input from agencies

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At a prayer meeting in the Nalla Kaluva village of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh on September 25, 2009, a first-time Congress MP, who, until then, was more a businessman and less a politician, addressed a gathering. The condolence meeting was for none other than his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a chopper crash, three months after being re-elected to power.

The man, addressing the people, was YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had a message for the families of people who died by suicide upon hearing about the death of the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. “I am telling all of them the great leader YSR is not dead, he lives inside us through his ideals. I will come and meet every family affected by these deaths and find out about their well-being,” he announced, not far from the site where his father’s chopper had crashed.

Over the next fourteen months, what ensued was a bitter battle between the Congress high command in Delhi and Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had just one thing on his mind — his “word” to the people “who sacrificed their lives for his father.” While the senior Congress leadership, particularly then-party president Sonia Gandhi, opposed the Odarpu Yatra (Consolation tour), Jagan had other plans. He was willing to defy the senior leadership and most importantly prepared to seize his father’s legacy.

The next few months were momentous. Jagan resumed his Odarpu Yatra in July 2010 and resigned from the Congress in November. In December, in his family’s hometown — Pulivendula — Jagan announced he would launch his party in his father’s memory.

Jagan’s yatra, for the ones who voted for YSR first in 2004 and then in 2009, was reminiscent of his father’s 1,470-km padayatra in 2003.

His party, YSRCP Congress, swept the 2019 elections, with Jagan Reddy becoming Chief Minister.

Five years later, in the 2024 state elections, his party lost to Chandrababu Naidu.  

After the devastating loss in state polls, a family dispute with his sister, YS Sharmila, has added to Jagan Reddy’s troubles. Reports revealed that Jagan had given her Rs 200 crore as her share of the family assets. However, he soon lodged a complaint with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), alleging Sharmila transferred shares from Saraswati Power, a family enterprise, without his consent. Their mother, YS Vijayamma, backed Sharmila, saying she was “unfairly treated”. The NCLT hearing is scheduled for November 8.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy: Early Life

Born on December 21, 1972, in Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh, Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy comes from a Christian family. He is the son of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), a two-time former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, and YS Vijayamma. Jagan’s younger YS Sharmila is also active in politics.

Education

Jagan Reddy attended Hyderabad Public School until class 12. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Pragathi Mahavidyalaya Degree and PG College in RamKoti, Hyderabad.

Personal Life

Jagan Reddy married YS Bharathi on August 28, 1996. They have two daughters.

Business Career

Before joining politics, Jagan Reddy was a businessman. He bought Sandur Power Company Limited (SPCL) from MB Ghorpade in 2001 and invested in other companies, helping SPCL grow. His wife, YS Bharathi, now manages the company. As Jagan got more involved in politics, he sold his shares in SPCL and stepped back from active business roles.

Political Career

Jagan Mohan Reddy campaigned for the Congress in the 2004 elections. He made his electoral debut in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and was elected from the Kadapa seat. His father was also elected as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for a second consecutive term after 2009 state polls. Three months later, YSR was killed in a chopper crash.

After spending over a year convincing the Congress high command to let him embark on his consolation yatra, Jagan decided it was time to go directly to the voter and seek a mandate. In early 2011, he announced the formation of the YSR Congress Party.

In 2014, in its first full election, YSR Congress emerged as the second largest party with 67 seats in the newly formed 175-member Andhra Assembly. But that wasn’t it. Jagan’s success in his first election meant the Congress was reduced to zero. In many ways, Jagan had attained what he originally set out to achieve — the people’s approval.

From 2014 to 2019, Jagan served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Jagan Reddy – Chief Minister Of Andhra Pradesh

In the 2019 elections, the YSR Congress Party swept the polls, winning 151 of 175 assembly seats and 22 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. Jagan took office as Chief Minister on May 30, 2019.

His tenure was characterised by various welfare schemes such as Jagananna Amma Vodi, which provides financial assistance to mothers or guardians from BPL households for their children’s education, and Navaratnalu, a set of nine welfare schemes benefiting farmers, women and the health sector.

He also proposed a new approach to the state capital, moving away from the earlier TDP government’s plan to build a capital in Amaravati. Jagan suggested three capitals for different administrative functions, which sparked protests from farmers in Amaravati.

In 2023, he was reported as the richest chief minister in India, with assets valued at Rs 510 crore.

2024 Assembly Elections

In the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, the YSRCP did not perform well, securing only 11 seats. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), won 164 seats. TDP’s N. Chandrababu Naidu was elected as the 18th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Despite the shattering loss, Jagan retained his seat in Pulivendula, defeating B. Tech Ravi of the TDP by over 61,000 votes.

Jagan is now an MLA representing the Pulivendula Assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh. The constituency has been a family stronghold since 1978 – previously held by both his parents.

Key Events

• CBI Investigations: Jagan Mohan Reddy has been named in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case of 2011. He faces allegations of corrupt practices, including quid-pro-quo arrangements with businesses and accumulating significant wealth during his father’s tenure. The CBI has filed multiple charge sheets against him for corporate fraud and inflating his company’s value. Jagan was arrested in May 2012 but walked out after 16 months. 
• Odarpu Yatra: In 2010, Jagan Reddy started the Odarpu Yatra (condolence tour) to visit families of those who allegedly died from grief over his father’s death. The Congress leadership asked him to stop the tour, but he refused. This created a rift with the Congress, eventually leading to the formation of the YSR Congress Party.
• Stabbed At Visakhapatnam Airport: In October 2018, a man attacked Jagan Reddy at Visakhapatnam Airport with a knife, causing a stab wound that injured his shoulder and required surgery. The attacker, J Srinivasa Rao, was granted bail in 2019.
• Protests Over Amaravati Capital: In 2020, Jagan Reddy’s decision to scrap the plans for a new capital in Amaravati, proposed by the previous government, ignited widespread protests among farmers and residents of the region. His proposal to establish multiple capitals for administrative functions was met with significant opposition, leading to public unrest.
• Attempt To Murder Case: Following his party’s loss in the 2024 elections, Jagan and several officials were booked in an attempt to murder case filed by TDP MLA K. Raghuram Krishna Raju.

YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Several leaders have deserted the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) after it suffered its worst-ever poll debacle in the Assembly elections this year. This casts some doubt over the future of the 13-year-old party.

YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy steered the party to power in 2019, winning 151 of the 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh. However, in the 2024 Assembly elections, the party’s performance was dismal. It lost against the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led National Democratic Alliance and won only 11 seats. Of these, seven were from the Rayalaseema region.

Some leaders who were discontent with Mr. Reddy’s functioning chose to air their grievances publicly after the party’s disastrous performance. Three Rajya Sabha MPs, two MLCs, and party representatives in urban and local bodies have resigned and are set to join any of the three constituents of the NDA: the TDP, the Jana Sena Party (JSP), or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Switching loyalties is not new in State politics. Mr. Reddy, who criticised the TDP for the defection of 23 YSRCP MLAs between 2014 and 2019, also encouraged four TDP MLAs to support his government, though he did not allow them to join the party. With the change of guard, the fence-sitters are once again looking at the side that has brighter prospects.

While the YSRCP bounced back in 2019 even after 23 MLAs and three MPs left the party, the scenario might not be the same this time. In just over 100 days since the party’s defeat, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has lost leaders who are not just politicians, but staunch loyalists of the YSRCP. He has also seen family members leave the party. Former Minister Balineni Sreenivasa Reddy, a close relative of the former Chief Minister; former Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao; and former MLAs Samineni Udayabhanu and Kilari Rosaih have left the party. The three men were loyal to Mr. Reddy’s father, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and had stuck with the YSRCP chief during turbulent times.

This shows that Mr. Reddy is getting isolated. Party persons say that Mr. Reddy did not coordinate well and have dialogues with leaders of the party. They alleged that he left party affairs to the people in his coterie. He seldom tried to speak with disgruntled leaders; this, they said, made matters worse for him.

The question now is, can Mr. Reddy keep the remaining flock of his MLAs, MPs, MLCs and leaders together? The government needs Rajya Sabha members and Lok Sabha members to pass crucial Bills. This leaves YSRCP Rajya Sabha members and MLCs vulnerable for poaching. There are already murmurs in political circles that some YSRCP Rajya Sabha members, MLCs, and party leaders are in touch with the NDA and may jump ship soon. Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao, Beeda Mastan Rao, and R. Krishnaiah have all resigned from their Rajya Sabha membership, bringing down the strength of the YSRCP in the Upper House from 11 to 8.

Initially, the YSRCP believed that the NDA would not spread a red carpet for defecting leaders as doing so may cause a rift among the parties of the alliance. However, with JSP chief Pawan Kalyan welcoming senior leaders Mr. Balineni Reddy, Mr. Udayabhanu, and Mr. Kilari Rosaih with open arms, that belief is slowly changing.

Leaders of the YSRCP may not think much before joining the ruling alliance as the TDP is keen on implementing its ‘Red Book’. The Red Book is an initiative of the party to keep track of all the government officers, particularly police officers, who have been allegedly acting on the YSRCP’s command and “terrorising” TDP cadre. In September, former MP Nandigam Suresh was arrested in a case relating to an attack on the TDP headquarters in 2021. Other former ministers and MLAs have also been booked in various cases.

Despite these challenges, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy cannot be written off. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu too was written off after the 2019 elections, but he proved all the naysayers wrong with a remarkable comeback from political wilderness just five years later.

Mr. Reddy has also shown that he has a fighting spirit. He won 67 of the 175 Assembly seats in the 2014 elections after being imprisoned for 16 months in the disproportionate assets case. He walked out of prison in 2013 and managed to secure 44.60% votes against the NDA in the 2014 elections. So, while the YSRCP may face trying times now, political equations could change sooner rather than later.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has hit back at YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy for claiming his government obstructed his visit to Tirumala. “He is spreading lies,” said Mr Naidu, adding no notices had been served to his predecessor blocking his temple visit. “Did anyone stop you from going? Show the notice if you have, to the media. Why are you spreading lies,” he lashed out.

Mr Reddy had said that all his party cadres and leaders were issued a notice that no permission had been given for the temple visit. His statement came after Mr Naidu’s TDP and its ally BJP demanded that Mr Reddy sign a declaration meant for non-Hindus before visiting the temple.

According to the rules of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the popular temple, foreigners and non-Hindus should declare their reverence for the presiding deity at the hill shrine, Lord Venkateswara, before their visit. However, faith declaration signboards have recently sprung up in Tirumala.

Addressing a pressing conference, the Chief Minister scaled up his attack on Mr Reddy, deepening the row that was triggered by his claim that animal fat was used to make laddoos which are offered as ‘prasad’ at the shrine during the previous YSRCP regime.

“People in public life should follow the traditions and do what needs to be done. Every religion has certain traditions. If you want to visit a place of worship, you need to respect those traditions. No one is above those beliefs and traditions. No one should disrespect the traditions of the gods and beliefs of the devotees and you can’t act in a manner that is humiliating to both,” Mr Naidu said.

Mr Reddy defended his proposed visit without signing a declaration, saying everyone in the country knows his religion and that he had visited Tirumala temple several times even before becoming the Chief Minister. He said though he reads the Bible within four walls, he respects Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.

Pointing to the recent controversy sparked by his claim that the famed laddoos were made with adulterated ghee, Mr Naidu said, “Hindu sentiments have been hurt, and devotees are reportedly organising protests. If he visits Tirumala, these groups have indicated they will mobilize as well. Police are on duty to maintain peace and order. Why is he spreading false information on this issue? Every religion has traditions and principles that deserve respect.”

Last week, Mr Naidu alleged the use of substandard ghee and the presence of animal fat in the laddoos.

Mr Reddy retorted that Mr Naidu brought up the laddoo issue “to divert failures of his (Chandrababu Naidu) 100 days rule”. “To cover up his failures on the laddoo issue, he came up with the faith declaration issue. He intentionally planted seeds of doubts on the Laddu quality,” he said.

Amaravati:

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala Hills and offer prayers on September 28, as part of the statewide temple rituals called by the party to atone for the ‘sin’ allegedly committed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu through his allegations on Tirupati laddus.

According to a communication from party sources, Mr Reddy is expected to arrive at Tirumala on September 27 and stay there overnight.

“YSRCP President and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. He is expected to arrive in Tirumala on the night of Friday, September 27, and will offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara the following day, September 28,” it said.

Jagan called on people to take part in temple rituals (pooja) across Andhra Pradesh on September 28 to atone for the sin allegedly committed by Naidu, ruling TDP supremo, through his allegations on Tirupati laddus.

“YSRCP is calling for statewide rituals in temples to sanitise (undo) this sin committed by Chandrababu on Saturday, September 28,” said the former CM in a post on X.

Mr Reddy’s appeal comes days after Naidu alleged during that the previous YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirupati and used substandard ingredients and animal fat for making laddus.

The allegations sparked a massive controversy across the country.

According to the opposition leader, Mr Naidu alleged that animal fat was mixed with ghee used to make laddu prasadam in Tirupati temple with a ‘political motive’.

“Though animal fat adulteration did not occur, he intentionally lied that it happened and falsely propagated that devotees ate them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has embarked on an 11-day penance to propitiate the deity over the alleged sacrilege.

Responding to Mr Reddy’s announcement, the BJP’s state unit demanded that he declare his faith before entering the hill shrine.

“We are given to understand that Jagan Mohan Reddy intends to visit Tirumala on the 28th of this month. The practice of declaring one’s faith has been in vogue for decades in Tirumala. As per G.O. MS NO- 311 of AP Revenue Endowments–1, Rule no 16, Non Hindus must give a declaration at Vaikuntam que (sic) complex before darshan in the faith form.”

“This is also as per TTD general regulations Rule 136,” Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari said in a post on ‘X.’ “BJP demands that even before Jagan Mohan Reddy begins mounting (sic) Tirumala, he should give the declaration of his faith at the Garuda statue itself at Alipiri,” she demanded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

Amid the massive row over allegations that animal fat was used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the incumbent Chief Minister N Chandrababu a “pathological liar” and accusing him hurting the beliefs of crores of people “purely for political objectives”.

The YSR Congress Party chief has said the entire country is looking at the Prime Minister and it is imperative that Mr Naidu “be reprimanded in (the) severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies”. He has demanded that the “truth be brought to light” to allay the suspicions in the minds of crores of Hindu devotees.

Mr Naidu’s TDP swept the Andhra polls this year and paved the way for Mr Reddy’s exit as Chief Minister. TDP is also a key ally of the BJP at the Centre and its support is critical to NDA’s majority in Lok Sabha after the BJP suffered a setback in this general election.

Mr Reddy has accused Mr Naidu of trying to “irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity and reputation of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams” and warned that this could have far-reaching consequences.

The YSRCP chief claimed that the people’s perception of the new government is “quite negative” and the Tirupati row was aimed at diverting attention from its failures.

Addressing an NDA legislative party meeting Wednesday, Mr Naidu said animal fat was used to make the sought-after laddoos given as ‘prasad’ by the Sri Venkateswara Temple under the Jagan Reddy government.  

Mr Reddy said the tanker containing the possibly adulterated ghee arrived at Tirupati on July 12, but was rejected and not used to prepare prasadams. “The robust practices in place for decades in TTD could identify the questionable quality and therefore the ghee was not used. Despite this comforting scenario, Mr. Naidu chose to callously make a remark that Tirumala Laddus were made with animal fats and not with ghee,” he wrote.

The former Chief Minister stressed the robustness of the policies and procedures of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the temple. Explaining the checks to ensure the ghee’s quality, he said every tanker that reaches the temple should have certification on the purity of ghee from agencies accredited by NABL — National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

“Further at the temple, three samples are obtained from every tanker and the same are tested and only after the three samples pass the test would the ghee be allowed to be put to use. If it so happens that if even one of the samples turns out to be substandard, the tanker is rejected and is not allowed to pass. Therefore, the question of sub-standard material being used in the preparation of prasadams does not arise,” Mr Reddy said. He added that this process has been in force for several decades and there have been several instances when tankers were rejected.

“A responsible Chief Minister should, in fact, attempt to bring to the attention of the public the robustness of the checks and balances in place to give them comfort as to sanctity of the functioning of the TTD. The way in which Mr Naidu acted was in a manner totally devoid of social responsibility,” he said.

The alleged report, Mr Reddy said, contains some very serious disclaimers. “The report conveys that the finding would not be applicable if the milk fat belongs to various categories that are listed out in the annexure. The categories include scenarios such as milk fat being obtained from cows which received an exceptionally high feeding of pure vegetable oils, cotton or palm oils, milk fat obtained from cows that are suffering from energy deficiency, milk fat obtained from cheeses. showing increased lipolysis and so forth. Therefore, if any of the above scenarios exist, then the methodology adopted would yield an incorrect or false positive result.”

The YSRCP leader said Mr Naidu had, in “total disregard to strong religious sentiments and with the malafide intent to spread lies”, brought the issue to light in a political party meeting on September 18, more than two months after the tanker was rejected. “The inaction of Mr. Naidu for the period of two months conveys that he did not believe that the ghee was adulterated physically with animal fats and that the finding of questionable quality was made in the process of routine checks as per the protocol.”

“Sir, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu a pathological and habitual liar has stooped so low as to seriously hurt the beliefs of crores of people purely for political objectives. His actions have indeed lowered not only the stature of a Chief Minister but also that of everyone in public life and also the sanctity of the world renowned TTD and its practices. Sir, the entire Country looks to you at this crucial juncture. It is very imperative that Mr. Naidu be reprimanded in severest way for his shameless act of spreading lies and the truth be brought to light,” he wrote.

“Sir, this would help allay the suspicions that Mr. Naidu has created in the minds of crores of hindu devotees and restore their faith in the sanctity of the TTD,” Mr Reddy added.

Bengaluru:

Amid controversy over the use of animal fat in ghee at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, the Karnataka government on Friday issued a directive mandating the use of Nandini brand ghee in all 34,000 temples that come under the state’s temple management body. 

The Karnataka government’s new directive requires that all temples under its jurisdiction use only Nandini ghee, produced by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), for temple rituals, including lighting lamps, preparing ‘prasada’, and in the ‘Dasoha Bhavans’ – places where devotees are served food. The official circular stressed that temple staff must ensure that the quality of ‘prasada’ is never compromised.

“In all the notified temples under the Religious Endowment Department of Karnataka State, it has been directed to use only Nandini Ghee for services, lamps, and preparation of all types of prasada and in Dasoha Bhavan. It has been suggested to maintain the quality in the prasada prepared in the temples,” the circular reads.

This directive comes in the wake of a larger controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in ghee in the preparation of laddoos at the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati, managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The controversy first erupted earlier this week when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu raised concerns over the quality of the ghee used at the temple, claiming that samples had tested positive for lard and other animal fats.

The Tirupati temple kitchen, which produces around 3 lakh laddoos daily, requires enormous quantities of ingredients, including 1,400 kg of ghee, along with other essentials like cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar. The bulk of the ghee in question was reportedly sourced from Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district.

The row quickly escalated as opposition leader Jagan Mohan Reddy found himself under fire. Accusations flew that during his tenure as Chief Minister, the ghee used to make Tirupati laddoos had been substandard, with claims of animal fat being used instead of traditional ghee. Mr Reddy vehemently denied these allegations, accusing the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of exploiting the issue for political gain.

The controversy reached the Supreme Court shortly after, with a petition being filed, claiming that the use of animal fats in temple food violated Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion and practice. The Health Ministry quickly demanded a detailed report on the issue, and Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi called for a thorough inquiry, insisting that “the culprit should be punished.”

As tensions mounted, temple authorities accused their ghee supplier of exploiting the temple’s lack of in-house food testing facilities. They argued that the absence of proper quality control had made the temple vulnerable to such scandals. Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd, which had supplied ghee to the temple in June and July, defended itself, claiming that its product had passed multiple lab tests and constituted a mere 0.01 per cent of the temple’s ghee supply.

The controversy spiralled further when a report from a Gujarat state-run lab surfaced, indicating that samples of the ghee used in the Tirupati temple tested positive for fish oil, beef tallow, and lard – a form of pig fat.

“Even Tirupati laddoo was made with substandard ingredients… they used animal fat instead of ghee,” said Chief Minister Naidu. 

He vowed that his administration had since raised the quality standards for all temple ingredients, and announced that the temple would undergo a thorough sanitisation process. His son, Andhra IT Minister Nara Lokesh, added fuel to the fire by saying that the row had been triggered by an anti-corruption probe into the procurement of ghee and vegetables used for temple food.

In response, the YSRCP, headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy, launched a counterattack, accusing the TDP of a political vendetta. Former TTD Chairperson YV Subba Reddy called the allegations “unimaginable,” and ex-Chairperson Karunakar Reddy claimed the scandal was part of a smear campaign.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman receives a warm welcome from BJP women workers on her arrival, at the party headquarters, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

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Nehru Planetarium set for revamp, India’s space achievements to take centre stage

Nehru Planetarium is getting ready for a revamp by the year end, with its gallery set to feature by 2025 new interactive screens focusing on India’s latest space missions and developments in the field of astronomy. The planetarium has now teamed up with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to incorporate the country’s latest space missions into its shows.

Bombay High Court puts temporary hold on Indrani Mukerjea’s Europe trip 

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday passed an ad interim stay on a special court order that permitted Indrani Mukerjea to travel to Spain and United Kingdom until July 29. Ms. Mukerjea who is the prime accused in the alleged murder of her own daughter Sheena Bora, is currently out on bail.  

Sri Lanka apologises for forced cremations policy during pandemic 

Sri Lanka on Tuesday apologised for enforcing a “cremations only” policy during the Covid-19 pandemic, going against the religious sentiments of Muslims, as well as expert views that burials were safe. The government said the Cabinet approved a joint proposal from a group of ministers “to plead an apology on behalf of the government”, from all communities affected by the compulsory cremation policy during the pandemic, when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was in office.

Paris Olympics preview | Indian pugilists capable of landing medal-winning punches

The presence of two World champions, including an Olympic medallist, and two Worlds medallists in the six-member Indian squad brightens up the country’s prospects in the Paris 2024 boxing ring. After the dismal performance of the male boxers in the initial qualifying phase and the loss of the women’s 57kg quota place due to Parveen Hooda’s missed dope tests, the boxing scene looked better as Amit Panghal (51kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) notched up two quota places and Jaismine Lamboria reclaimed the 57kg slot.

Paris Olympics preview | Will the ‘nucleus of Indian sports’ live up to its title?

The health of Indian sports will largely depend on the contribution of Olympic medals by the shooters in the Paris Games. It may sound ironical that a sport that has brought nought from the last two Games in Rio and Tokyo, finds itself as the nucleus of Indian sports. There will be 21 shooters, the best from any country including China, competing for 27 medals. Can quality come from quantity? Can there be another gold medal from shooting, the way Abhinav Bindra won by asserting his mastery in air rifle in the Beijing Games in 2008.

Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh):

Amid the ongoing debate between BJP and the Opposition leaders about the reservation and minority quota, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said 4 per cent of Muslim reservations “will remain” and that is YSR Congress Party’s “final word” on it.

Addressing a public gathering in Kurnool, he said, “On one hand, Chandrababu Naidu continues to join hands with the BJP which stands on removing the 4 per cent Muslim reservation, on the other hand, to seek minority votes, he comes up with new drama. Have you witnessed a chameleon-like Chandrababu Naidu? Come what may, 4 per cent of Muslim reservations will remain and that is YSR Congress Party’s final word on it. My only question to Chandrababu Naidu is why does he continue the alliance with the NDA even after the NDA government pledges to cancel the 4 per cent reservation?”

Commenting on the ongoing Lok Sabha election battle, Mr Reddy said, “In the next 4 days, the battle of Kurukshetra is set to take place. This election is not to elect MLAs and MPs, this election will decide the future of ongoing schemes and the development of every household. If you vote for Chandrababu Naidu, you are stopping all the welfare that this government has brought to the doorstep of the household.”

Criticising Chandrababu Naidu, he said, “For 14 years, Chandrababu Naidu boasts about being the CM – for a 3-year term. Does any poor remember the welfare that this man has brought to the State? We have brought welfare without discriminating against religion, caste, community, or other party members.”

Earlier, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s remarks on Muslim reservation had kicked up a storm and drew flak from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Muslims should get a reservation (reservation toh milna chahiye Musalmano ko, pura’…),” Mr Yadav said.

However, the RJD Chief later clarified that he was in favour of extending reservation benefits to Muslims but emphasized that it should be “based on social backwardness and not based on religion.”

“I implemented the ‘Mandal Commission’. Reservation samajik adhar par hota hai dharmik aadhar par nahi hota hai (it is based on social backwardness and not based on religion). Atal Bihari Vajpayee constituted the Constitution Review Commission,” Lalu Yadav said.

The Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held on May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP won with a thumping majority of 151 seats, while the TDP was confined to 23 seats. In the Lok Sabha polls, the YSRCP won 22 seats, while the TDP could only win three seats.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad::

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has sparked a row with his comment today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph was removed from the cover of the joint manifesto of arch rival Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party “after a call from Delhi”. Leaders of the NDA termed his comment an attempt to “create a rift” within the alliance. What was not explained was a video of ceremony to release the manifesto, where BJP state in-charge Siddharth Nath Singh could be seen refusing to accept a copy.

Speaking later, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “In an earlier version of the manifesto, photos of Chandrababu Naidu were prominently displayed alongside that of PM Modi”.

“But before Mr Naidu unveiled his manifesto today, he received a call from the BJP headquarters, saying having PM Modi’s photo on it is not acceptable. This incident only serves to highlight how unattainable his promises are,” he added.

Mr Naidu, however, issued a clarification later. The NDA, he said, has a manifesto at the national level. The TDP and Jana Sena are now releasing this manifesto in consultation with the BJP. The manifesto contains the views of all the parties, he said.    

Mr Naidu had returned to the NDA earlier this year — nearly six years after he walked out protesting against the BJP’s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. His return was to keep at bay the ruling YSR Congress of Mr Reddy.

There is expectation that the alliance with the BJP and Pawan Kalyan would consolidate the votes of those disillusioned with the Jagan Reddy government.

Mr Naidu has said at a rally that this year will be his last election if the Telugu Desam Party is not voted to power.

The TDP which won 15 of the state’s 25 seats, was down to three in 2019 after its exit from the NDA.