TDP Defends CM Naidu On Tirumala Laddu Issue, Cites NDDB Tests And CBI Chargesheet

Last Updated:January 31, 2026, 11:57 IST

The party pointed out that the CBI has recorded instances of systemic corruption, manipulation in procurement procedures and deliberate dilution of quality checks.

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The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Saturday strongly dismissed what it described as a misleading narrative around the Tirumala laddu controversy and reiterated that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had made a fact-based statement.

In a statement issued from Amaravati on January 31, the party said it firmly stands by Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks made in September 2024 on the presence of animal fat in the ghee used for Tirumala laddus. The TDP said the statement was not political in nature but was based on verified scientific evidence.

The party explained that the Chief Minister’s disclosure was grounded in a test report issued in July 2024 by the CALF laboratory of the National Dairy Development Board. It noted that NDDB is a statutory body set up under an Act of Parliament and that its CALF laboratory is NABL accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 standards, which are considered the benchmark for forensic and food testing in India.

According to the report, animal fat and vegetable oil were found in the ghee supplied for Tirumala laddus.

The TDP said the matter gained further credibility as the same NDDB-CALF report has been clearly referred to in the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The party pointed out that the CBI has recorded instances of systemic corruption, manipulation in procurement procedures and deliberate dilution of quality checks.

“These are not allegations made by the TDP," the party said, adding that the findings form part of official submissions by a central investigative agency.

The statement alleged that the previous administration oversaw a system in which corruption reached even religious institutions. It said the adulteration of laddus, consumed by crores of devotees across the country, was not an isolated mistake or administrative oversight but the result of sustained negligence and corrupt practices, as documented by investigators.

The TDP also criticised the opposition for attempting to divert attention from the CBI’s findings and for trying to reshape the narrative. It said those responsible for running the system at the time must answer why devotees’ faith was compromised and public trust undermined.

Reaffirming its stand, the party said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s statement was supported by scientific evidence and that the CBI report has echoed what the TDP has consistently maintained.

The party also noted that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams chairman BR Naidu had highlighted the same NDDB-CALF test reports during his media address on January 30.

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