Botcha for thorough probe into laddu row
YSRCP MLC Botcha Satyanarayana speaking at the media conference held in Visakhapatnam on Saturday
Visakhapatnam : Condemning the remarks made by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu regarding adulterated ghee used in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) ‘laddu prasadam’, YSRCP MLC Botcha Satyanarayana demanded an immediate inquiry into it either by the CBI or through a judicial process.
At a media conference held here on Saturday, the MLC pointed out that a leader of the Chief Minister’s stature should not make such serious allegations without verifying the facts.
He stated that politicising religious sentiments for political gain is unacceptable. “If laddu adulteration is proved, strict action should be taken against those responsible. However, the Chief Minister should apologise to the public for misleading them in case no evidence is traced,” he demanded.
Instead of making allegations, Satyanarayana opined, it would have been better if the state government called for a detailed probe into the laddu row and then expose the facts in case there are any deviations.
“The ingredients at TTD go through quality checks before getting into prasadam preparation.
If they fail to meet the required parameters, they would eventually be rejected,” Satyanarayana elaborated, highlighting that previous governments had also rejected batches of ghee due to quality concerns without creating such unwarranted controversy.
Talking about ghee tankers supplied to Tirumala for prasadam preparation, Satyanarayana recalled that 18 tankers in YSRCP’s governance and 14 tankers in TDP’s rule were rejected. “As the state government failed to meet the promises made during its 100-day-long governance, Naidu resorted to diversion tactics, hurting people’s sentiments to gain political advantage. He would face consequences for hurting the beliefs of scores of devotees,” Satyanarayana criticised.
The MLC urged the government to conduct a transparent investigation and take appropriate steps. “In case the allegation proves to be wrong, the Chief Minister should tender an apology to people,” he demanded.