Pawan Kalyan begins foot journey to Tirumala Temple amid ‘Laddu’ controversy

Pawan Kalyan begins 11-day ‘Praschit Deeksha’ to Tirumala Temple

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan commenced a foot pilgrimage to the Tirumala Temple on Tuesday evening, following a puja at Alipiri Padala Mandapam. This 11-day journey, known as ‘Praschit Deeksha‘ (penance), is in response to allegations of animal fat adulteration in the famous Tirupati Laddu. Kalyan is expected to complete his penance with a darshan at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, also referred to as the Balaji Temple, on Wednesday.

A large gathering of leaders and supporters from Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party, along with allies from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gathered at Alipiri to welcome him. His journey is being conducted under tight security from both the police and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).

After his temple visit, Kalyan plans to stop at the Anna Prasadam center, where free meals are provided to devotees. The Deputy Chief Minister initiated the ‘Deeksha‘ at the Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy temple in Nambur, Guntur district, on September 22, following rituals led by priests.

Kalyan expressed personal concern over allegations that ghee used for the laddu Prasadam was adulterated with fish oil and animal fat, which prompted his penance. These claims were initially made by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who asserted that such practices occurred during the YSR Congress Party’s rule.

In response to the allegations, the state government established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an inquiry. However, on Tuesday, Director General of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao announced a temporary suspension of the SIT’s investigation following a Supreme Court ruling. The court stated there was no evidence supporting the claims of animal fat usage in the preparation of the Tirupati laddus during the previous regime and advised the SIT to “hold its hands” until October 3.

The Supreme Court criticized Naidu for politicizing religious matters, suggesting he should have refrained from making public statements based on uncertain facts. The SIT, led by Guntur range Inspector General Sarvashresth Tripathi, conducted inspections and inquiries over the past three days, focusing on the quality control measures at TTD.

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