Amaravati, March 4 (NationPress) YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has claimed that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has transformed the Tirumala temple into a venue for his own self-serving political ambitions.

He accused Naidu of lacking both devotion to the deity and genuine commitment to the administration of temples, asserting that his actions reveal a significant deficiency in integrity, honesty, and responsibility concerning such a revered institution.

In a recent social media update, the former chief minister expressed his worries regarding the latest occurrences at the temple and criticized Naidu's leadership.

“The management of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam temples, where Lord Venkateswara is worshipped as the living deity of the Kali Yuga by millions of followers, is a profoundly sacred duty.

Such a revered institution should be governed by individuals who embody unblemished character, steadfast devotion, integrity, and dedication,” he remarked, accusing the Chief Minister of reducing this esteemed role to a platform for personal political gain.

Rather than safeguarding the dignity and sanctity of the temple, decisions made under his guidance have tarnished the institution's reputation, he stated.

Mentioning the recent allegations against Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Chairman B.R. Naidu, Jagan noted that prior to the elections, a woman had approached Naidu with claims that the existing TTD Chairman had deceived her and disrupted her life.

“In her letter, she expressed that women who sought his assistance for minor tasks faced harassment and distress. As a responsible leader, Chandrababu Naidu should have initiated an investigation into these grave allegations and taken suitable actions. Instead, even after being made aware of such claims, he completely disregarded them and proceeded to appoint the same individual as the Chairman of TTD, thus compromising the sanctity and esteem of the temple,” Jagan asserted.

“Anyone who genuinely reveres Lord Venkateswara would never make such a decision. If true commitment to maintaining the temple's sanctity existed, such appointments would not have occurred. This further validates that Naidu lacks devotion, sincerity, and even the basic respect for the deity,” he continued.

“The same negligence is evident in the matter of ghee used for preparing Tirumala Laddu prasadam. Under Chandrababu Naidu’s administration, the TTD laboratory rejected certain batches of ghee for not meeting quality standards. Nevertheless, the same subpar ghee was later permitted entry to TTD under different designations during his term, ultimately being utilized in the preparation of Tirumala Laddu.

“This has been explicitly detailed in the CBI-SIT chargesheets. The initial chargesheet discusses this on pages 64 and 91, while the final chargesheet mentions it again on page 44. These findings clearly indicate negligence and a lack of seriousness in upholding the sanctity of temple prasadam,” Jagan wrote.

The former chief minister claimed that after making this error regarding the Tirumala Laddu issue, Naidu is now attempting to deflect blame onto others while simultaneously stirring political controversy around it.

“Another concerning issue is the pricing of ghee. From 2014 to 2019, the price of ghee for TTD fluctuated between approximately Rs.278 and Rs.330 per kilogram. Even during 2019–2024, the average price remained fairly consistent within this range. However, under Naidu’s leadership, while falsely alleging about ghee quality and instigating political drama, contracts were designed to benefit Indapur Dairy, a company associated with his Heritage group. In 2025, ghee from this company was reportedly supplied to TTD at a staggering Rs.658 per kilogram, yielding substantial profits while converting temple procurement into a source of personal gain,” he stated.

“These developments raise significant concerns. They illustrate that Naidu lacks devotion to the deity and sincerity in managing temple affairs. His actions indicate a troubling absence of commitment, integrity, and honesty in addressing matters related to such a sacred institution,” Jagan concluded.