Former TTD Chairman Seeks 10-year Probe Into Ghee Procurement

TIRUPATI: YSRC Rajya Sabha MP and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy has demanded that the ongoing probe into alleged ghee adulteration in Tirumala laddu production be extended to cover at least a decade, from 2014 onwards. He said limiting the investigation to the 2019–2024 period would create a biased narrative.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, Subba Reddy said the CBI-led Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted on Supreme Court directions, must examine procurement decisions across different administrations. A selective five-year review, he said, would distort facts and fuel political interpretations.

Defending ghee purchases during the YSRC term, he rejected claims that lower prices indicated adulteration. TTD procured ghee through open tenders, he said, with prices ranging from Rs 326 to Rs 400 per kg under the YSRC government. “If low price is being projected as proof of impurity, then the same logic applies to the Telugu Desam’s purchases at Rs 219, Rs 276 and Rs 295 per kg between 2014 and 2019,” he argued.

He urged the SIT to widen the inquiry to ensure a neutral, pattern-based assessment of procurement practices rather than what he termed a targeted investigation. He criticised “selective leaks” that, he said, were dragging the sacred laddu prasadam into political controversy before the SIT completes its work.

Citing the SIT remand report, Subba Reddy said four ghee tankers from Tamil Nadu–based AR Dairy—rejected in June–July 2024—allegedly re-entered the TTD under different supplier names in August 2024 after the change of government. He said there was still no clarity on whether this ghee was used in laddu production or whether it contained animal fat.

Recalling his tenure as chairman, he said several welfare and development initiatives were implemented and asserted that neither he nor his family was involved in any wrongdoing. He added that he was prepared to undergo a “Satya Sodhana Pariksha” or even a lie-detector test to prove his innocence in both the ghee adulteration and Parakamani theft cases.