Amid escalating controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in the ghee used for preparing laddus at the Tirupati temple, the Karnataka government has issued a directive mandating that all 34,000 temples under its management exclusively use Nandini brand ghee. This decision aims to maintain the sanctity and quality of temple rituals, including the preparation of prasada and the lighting of lamps.

The controversy erupted earlier this week when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu raised alarms about the quality of ghee at the Tirupati temple, claiming that samples had tested positive for lard and other animal fats. The Tirupati temple kitchen produces about 300,000 laddus daily, necessitating large quantities of ghee sourced from Tamil Nadu. The implications of this scandal have sparked intense political rivalries, particularly as opposition leader Jagan Mohan Reddy faced accusations of previously allowing substandard ghee during his tenure as Chief Minister.

The issue quickly escalated to the Supreme Court, with a petition claiming that using animal fats in temple food violates constitutional rights to freedom of religion. The Health Ministry has called for a detailed investigation, and Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi has insisted that those responsible should be held accountable.

As tensions rise, the temple authorities have shifted blame to their ghee supplier for exploiting the temple's lack of in-house quality testing. The controversy intensified with reports indicating that the ghee samples tested positive for fish oil and beef tallow, leading Naidu to promise improvements in the quality of temple ingredients and a thorough sanitization process. Meanwhile, the YSRCP, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, accused the ruling TDP of political opportunism, further fueling the ongoing conflict.