Amaravati, Feb 18 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Botsa Satyanarayana on Wednesday accused Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of corruption in the ghee tenders for Tirumala laddu prasadam.

Speaking at the Assembly media point, the YSR Congress Party leader said the allegations earlier made by CM Naidu that animal fat was found in laddu ghee were purely for political gain and have been proven false by the Supreme Court–monitored CBI-SIT report.

He accused the Chief Minister of not sparing even temple offerings in pursuit of financial gain and said God would not forgive a conspiracy done to benefit private interests.

Botsa alleged that the ghee that was earlier procured at about Rs 320 per kg is now being supplied at around Rs 700 per kg through Indapur Dairy, which he said has links with Chandrababu Naidu’s own company Heritage, resulting in a doubling of price and looting of public money.

He demanded an open discussion on the corruption behind the jump from Rs 320 to Rs 700 and questioned why the government was avoiding debate if it had nothing to hide. He said the entire laddu controversy and adulteration narrative were baseless accusations created by Naidu and that the SIT findings have now exposed these as lies.

According to him, the government is avoiding both a discussion on ghee procurement and on people’s issues because the truth would come out. He said the opposition is ready for discussion and will present facts, including evidence already shown on links between Heritage and Indapur, but the government prefers issuing indirect explanations instead of facing debate.

Satyanarayana also questioned the justification that milk prices caused the rise in ghee prices, asking what milk prices were when ghee was bought at Rs 320 and what they are now at Rs 700, and whether the government is willing to debate this transparently.

He accused the Chief Minister and coalition leaders of arbitrarily increasing rates to favour their own linked firms while assuming the public is unaware. He called on the BJP to break its silence and clarify whether it supports such actions.

Meanwhile, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) former Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged glaring discrepancies in the tender process of ghee purchase only to benefit a favoured firm.

Speaking to the media in Tirupati, he said that TTD has been conducting itself like an affiliate unit of TDP and has been speaking in unison.

The Indapur Milk products and Mother Dairy were shown undue favours, and the tender process was rigged and manipulated. They could secure tenders worth Rs 130 crore, he said.

Former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy alleged that the Chief Minister has been speaking lies on the Tirumala laddu issue and that TDP is scared to answer pointed questions in the Council on the issue.

He said that Naidu has been looting the Tirumala temple administration, while coalition leaders are afraid to speak about the Heritage-Indapur nexus.

Demanding an open debate on the Heritage-Indapur link and state finances, he said the Chief Minister has demeaned Lord Venkateswara for the sake of ghee contracts.

Questioning why Indapur was given the contract to supply ghee at an exorbitant rate, he said the quote accepted was Rs 658 while the acceptable rate was Rs 321 per kg.

–IANS

ms/vd