Amaravati, Feb 18 (NationPress) The Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, Botsa Satyanarayana, has made serious allegations against Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of corruption regarding the ghee contracts for the Tirumala laddu prasadam.

Addressing the media at the Assembly, the YSR Congress Party leader stated that the prior claims made by CM Naidu regarding the discovery of animal fat in laddu ghee were merely fabricated for political advantages, a claim that has been debunked by a Supreme Court-monitored CBI-SIT report.

Botsa criticized the Chief Minister for exploiting even sacred temple offerings for personal financial gain, asserting that divine justice would not overlook such conspiracies aimed at benefiting private enterprises.

He pointed out that the price of ghee, which was previously procured at approximately Rs 320 per kg, has now surged to around Rs 700 per kg through Indapur Dairy, which he claims is linked to Naidu's own Heritage company, resulting in an unjust price hike and a loss of public funds.

Botsa has called for a transparent discussion regarding the drastic price increase from Rs 320 to Rs 700 and questioned the government's reluctance to engage in debate if there is no wrongdoing. He stated that the entire narrative of laddu contamination was baseless and that the findings from the SIT have unveiled these as untruths.

He further suggested that the government is evading discussions on both ghee procurement and public issues because the truth is likely to emerge. The opposition is prepared to discuss these matters and present evidence, including established links between Heritage and Indapur, yet the government seems to prefer indirect explanations over confronting the debate.

Satyanarayana also questioned the rationale behind the ghee price increase, challenging the government to clarify the milk prices at the times of ghee procurement at Rs 320 and the current prices at Rs 700, and whether it is open to a transparent discussion on this matter.

He accused the Chief Minister and coalition leaders of unjustly raising rates to benefit their affiliated companies while presuming the public is oblivious. He urged the BJP to speak up and clarify its stance on these actions.

In parallel, the former Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, has pointed out significant irregularities in the ghee procurement tender process, suggesting it was manipulated to favor a particular company.

Addressing the media in Tirupati, he stated that TTD has been acting like an extension of TDP and has been aligned in its communication.

The tender process was allegedly rigged to benefit Indapur Milk Products and Mother Dairy, securing tenders worth Rs 130 crore.

Former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy accused the Chief Minister of spreading falsehoods regarding the Tirumala laddu issue, claiming that TDP is reluctant to respond to direct inquiries in the Council.

He asserted that Naidu has been misappropriating funds from the Tirumala temple administration, while coalition leaders remain hesitant to discuss the Heritage-Indapur connections.

Reddy demanded a public debate on the Heritage-Indapur link and the state’s financial dealings, claiming that the Chief Minister has dishonored Lord Venkateswara for the sake of lucrative ghee contracts.

He questioned the justification for awarding the ghee supply contract to Indapur at an inflated price, noting that the accepted quote was Rs 658 while the reasonable rate was Rs 321 per kg.