Triupati Laddo row: Andhra Pradesh govt appoints BR Naidu as new chairman of Tirupati temple board

On Wednesday, the Andhra Pradesh government named BR Naidu as the chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board, tasked with managing the Tirumala temple in Tirupati, alongside 23 appointed members. The announcement arrives amidst a controversy concerning allegations of animal fat being used in the temple’s famous laddus, as per reported by India Today.

BR Naidu, founder of the Telugu news channel TV5, is expected to bring his leadership experience and public standing to the TTD, which had been operating without an official board for some time. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced a diverse board to ensure broad representation, including multiple Andhra Pradesh MLAs like Jyotula Nehru (Jaggampeta), Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy (Kovuru), and MS Raju (Madakasira), along with figures like former Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi, former Chief Justice of India Justice HL Dattu, and Bharat Biotech MD Suchitra Ella.

In response to his appointment, BR Naidu expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Education Minister Nara Lokesh, tweeting in Telugu, “I am thankful to the Government of Andhra Pradesh for appointing me as the Chairman of the trust board of Tirumala and Tirupati Devasthanas. Heartfelt thanks to Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Konidela Pawan Kalyan and State Education Minister Nara Lokesh.”

Other board members include Prashanthi Reddy, MS Raju, Jyotula Nehru, Panabaka Lakshmi, Sambasiva Rao, Narsi Reddy, Sadashiva Rao Nannapaneni, Mallela Rajasekhar Goud, Suchitra Ella, and several others, including notable judicial and business leaders.

This restructuring of the TTD board follows a scandal concerning the alleged use of animal fat in the laddus served to devotees. On September 18, Chandrababu Naidu alleged that animal-fat-adulterated ghee was used in the laddus during the previous YSR Congress administration, stirring considerable public debate.

The YSR Congress denied the accusation, claiming that the Chief Minister’s statements were damaging the temple's reputation. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was initially formed to examine the claims, but the Supreme Court halted the SIT probe, instead ordering a CBI investigation under its supervision. The court also admonished Chandrababu Naidu for making public allegations without verified evidence.