Tirupati ladoo row: Pawan Kalyan calls for 'National Sanatana Dharma Board'

The time has come to constitute a 'Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board' at a national level to look into all the issues related to temples in the entire Bharath, said Pawan Kalyan

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party chief, Pawan Kalyan, has called for the establishment of a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ in response to the growing controversy over the ingredients used in Tirupati ladoos. The row erupted after allegations surfaced that animal fat, including fish oil, pork fat, and beef tallow, had been used instead of ghee in preparing the sacred ladoos ‘prasadam’ at Tirumala.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pawan Kalyan expressed deep concern, stating, “We are all deeply disturbed by the findings of animal fat mixed in Tirupati Balaji Prasad. Many questions remain unanswered by the TTD [Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams] board constituted by the YCP [Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party] government.”

He stressed that the Andhra Pradesh government is committed to taking strict action against those responsible.

 

Pawan Kalyan also urged for a broader national-level initiative, stating, “The time has come to constitute a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ at a national level to address all issues related to temples across Bharath [India].”

He further called for a debate involving policymakers, religious leaders, the judiciary, citizens, and the media on matters affecting religious practices.

The controversy escalated after Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government of using animal fat in the ladoo ‘prasadam’. Naidu’s allegations were supported by a statement from TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh Naidu, asserting that laboratory tests confirmed the presence of fish oil and beef tallow in the ghee used for the ladoos.

The YSR Congress Party, which initially dismissed the allegations, has since remained silent following the release of the purported test results by the TDP on social media.

Pawan Kalyan’s statement on Friday also highlighted concerns about “the desecration of temples and temple land issues” and called for collective efforts to protect Sanatana Dharma.

“I believe we should all come together to end the desecration of ‘Sanatana Dharma’ in any form,” he said.