Tirupati laddu row: Pawan Kalyan undertakes 11-day 'Prayaschitta Diksha'
What's the story
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan began his 11-day penance at the Sri Dashavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Nambur on Sunday over the alleged adulteration of Tirumala's laddu prasadam. In a post on X, Kalyan expressed his shock and guilt over this issue, describing it as "a stain on the Hindu race." "I feel cheated from within. I'm taking a vow to seek forgiveness from the Lord and am taking a vow to fast for eleven days," he wrote.
Atonement call
Kalyan's call for atonement and restoration of dharma
Kalyan further stated that every follower of Sanatana Dharma should seek atonement for this "terrible injustice" done to the God of Kali Yuga. He wrote, "As I'm fighting for the welfare of the people, it hurts me that such trouble did not come to my attention." On October 1 and 2, he will go to Tirupati and have a personal darshan and beg for forgiveness, and then "my atonement initiative will be completed in front of the Lord," he said.
Twitter Post
Kalyan begins his 11-day penance
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan undertakes an 11-day 'Prayaschitta Diksha' at Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple, in Guntur, over the alleged adulteration of the Tirumala's Laddu Prasadam.
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2024
"I am deeply hurt on a personal level by the malicious attempts made… pic.twitter.com/r7Nm5ysbrW
Criticism voiced
Kalyan's criticism of former CM and temple administrators
The deputy CM also criticized former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and the temple administrators for their alleged involvement in this controversy. He accused them of having "no faith in God and no fear" of committing such acts. Kalyan suggested that the administrators either failed to detect the issue or were too scared to speak up due to fear of "demonic rulers of that time."
Proposal made
Kalyan's proposal for 'Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board'
On Friday, Kalyan proposed the establishment of a 'Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board' at the national level to address all issues related to Hindu temples. He pledged to ensure strict action against those involved and called for discussions by policymakers, citizens, the judiciary and more about religious desecration. "The time has come to take steps toward restoring Dharma," he added in his post on X.
Controversy details
Allegations of animal fat in Tirupati laddus spark controversy
The controversy began with allegations made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu about the use of animal fat in Tirupati laddus. Food Minister Pralhad Joshi has since called for an investigation into these claims. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy stated that a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory confirmed the adulteration of ghee samples provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.