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Attempts are being made by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to "irreparably tarnish the sanctity, integrity, and reputation" of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, former Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Tirupati Prasad adulteration row.
In his letter, Reddy stated that the procurement of the ghee has been taking place through the e-tendering process, with the tendering process taking place every six months for the procurement of ghee, and the process has been the same for the past several decades. "The organisation that meets the qualification criteria gets selected on the basis of the price of the ghee quoted, which is the bidding parameter. This has been the process in place for the past several decades, even during the period of the TDP government between 2014 and 2019," CM Reddy stated in his letter on Sunday. "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," the letter mentioned. On September 19, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stirred a political controversy after he claimed that the ghee used in the preparation of Tirupati laddoo prasadam, offered at Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Tirupati, contained animal fat during the previous YSRCP government. Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the Tirumala hills of Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district. Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh assured action on the matter and said that the Chief Minister will announce a policy to ensure this doesn't happen again. Citing a July report of the presence of animal fat instead of ghee in the Tirupati Prasadam, Lokesh said that the analysis done by the government run lab "is clear" and that the allegations made by Anhdra Pradesh Chief Minister are "based on facts." "Action will be taken. CM will make a statement on it (demand for CBI inquiry). Nobody will be spared, but we will not drop this matter just with a CBI inquiry. Further steps have to be taken. We have to put a 'full stop' to this...Structural changes to ensure that this doesn't happen in the days to come have to be made, CM will announce the policy for it," Lokesh said. (ANI)
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