Addressing the media at Sri Padmavathi Rest House in Tirupati on Friday evening, the Chairman said it was untrue to claim that no ghee adulteration had taken place, as the SIT charge sheet itself recorded clear violations.
He pointed out that serious irregularities occurred during the ghee procurement tender process and alleged that tender conditions were deliberately modified to benefit a few individuals. Contracts were awarded to firms lacking the required capacity and infrastructure, he said.
The Chairman revealed that approximately 60 lakh kg of adulterated ghee, valued at nearly ₹250 crore, was procured. He stated that the NDDB laboratory report confirmed the presence of animal fat in the ghee samples tested.
He further remarked that claims of producing ghee without owning even a single cow or having any genuine production capability were false. Some of the chemicals allegedly used in the manufacture of the ghee were extremely hazardous, posing serious concerns, he added.
According to him, nearly 20 crore laddus were prepared using the adulterated ghee, amounting to a grave desecration of the sanctity of Tirumala. He alleged that certain dairies were selected purely for commission-driven motives.
The TTD Chairman stated that there had been sustained attempts over the past five years to demean Hindu deities and Hindu society, and demanded an unconditional apology to the Hindu community.
The Trust Board Chief categorically rejected claims of a clean chit, stating that they were contrary to facts.
He demanded that micro DNA testing be conducted to conclusively establish the quality and origin of the ghee used.
The TTD Chairman also urged the SIT to conduct a comprehensive investigation into alleged financial transactions involving crores of rupees credited into certain bank accounts, to ascertain whether benami arrangements existed and to identify the key individuals behind them.
He asserted that the issue came to light only after the present coalition government assumed office and reiterated that there would be no compromise in safeguarding the sanctity, transparency, and integrity of TTD.
TTD Board Members Sri Bhanu Prakash Reddy, Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi, Sri Naresh Kumar, Sri Dollar Diwakar Reddy, and Sri Darshan were present at the press conference.
