NDDB Report Was the Sole Basis for TTD Ghee Adulteration Claims: CM Chandrababu

Amaravati: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu clarified in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that his earlier statements regarding the adulteration of ghee used by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) were strictly based on findings from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

During a  discussion on the issue, the Chief Minister presented a detailed report highlighting alleged irregularities committed between 2019 and 2024. Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous administration of forming a "criminal syndicate" to alter tender norms and lower quality standards. He alleged that despite a CFTR lab report in August 2022 confirming the presence of ‘beta-sitosterol’—indicating adulteration—in ghee supplied by the Bhole Baba firm, the then-TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy suppressed the findings. Consequently, approximately 20 crore laddus were distributed using compromised ingredients.

Chandrababu Naidu further alleged deep-rooted corruption, claiming that the former Chairman’s personal assistant accepted a ₹4.5 crore bribe to facilitate contracts for AR Dairy using forged certificates. He noted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had uncovered a diary detailing bribes and drums of chemicals like acetic acid.

Broadening his attack, Naidu described the previous tenure as a dark period for Hindu institutions, citing 2,032 attacks on temples, including the desecration of the Ramatheertham idol and chariot burnings. He emphasized that while the opposition tried to block the SIT in the Supreme Court, the apex court eventually ordered a CBI-monitored probe. The Chief Minister concluded by vowing strict legal action against those who desecrate temples and confirmed that a cleanup of the TTD administration is already underway.