YSR Congress party leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy on Tuesday alleged that Pedda Jeeyar Swamy connected to Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirumala, was also subjected to “Red Book” rule of the Chandrababu Naidu government.
Reacting to the letter written by Pedda Jeeyar Swamy to the chief minister expressing concern over adulteration of ghee during the previous regime, Bhumana alleged that the see was also under pressure by senior TTD officials to issue a letter in connection with the Tirumala laddu controversy.
Addressing the media at his residence, Bhumana alleged that the TTD chairman, Executive Officer (EO) and another official collectively pressured the seer for nearly three hours to obtain the letter.
He questioned why the seer did not respond earlier when chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan and temple officials had alleged that animal fat was used in laddu preparation, but chose to write a letter only after the CBI-SIT chargesheet reportedly confirmed that no animal fat was found.
He also expressed doubts over the authenticity of the letter, alleging that the seer, who is not fluent in Telugu writing, was made to sign a letter drafted in Telugu.
Bhumana urged Pedda Jeeyar Swamy not to become part of what he described as a political conspiracy by Chandrababu Naidu to portray former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy as anti-Hindu.
The former chairman alleged that the seer had lost importance after the coalition government came to power and cited the reduction of the Vaikuntha Ekadasi festival from ten days to two days as an example.
He questioned seers and mutt heads staging protests, asking whether they had forgotten that the ghee samples tested in laboratories were procured after Chandrababu Naidu became chief minister.
He recalled that purification rituals and Maha Samprokshanam were conducted inside the temple on September 23, 2024, under the seer’s leadership, as a corrective measure and to reassure devotees that no defects would remain in laddu prasadam preparation.
He stated that after a Supreme Court-appointed CBI-SIT reportedly confirmed that beef tallow, pork fat or fish oil were not found in the ghee used for Tirumala laddu preparation, the allegations made by Naidu and Pawan Kalyan lost credibility.
Bhumana alleged that some seers were being pressured, threatened or influenced to support a new narrative and that the Pedda Jeeyar Mutt was being drawn into political controversy.
He maintained that the SIT report had clarified there was no involvement of political leaders in the alleged ghee adulteration and that responsibility lay with certain officials and suppliers.
