Amid the raging controversy over alleged adulteration of Tirupati laddu, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to visit Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple on September 28.

Accusing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of tarnishing the sanctity of Tirumala temple by making baseless allegations of adulteration of laddu prasadam, the YSRCP has called for puja in temples across the state.

The main opposition party announced that Jagan Mohan Reddy will reach Tirumala on the night of September 27. The next morning, he will have darshan. He is visiting the temple amid a raging row over the allegations made by Chandrababu Naidu last week that ghee used for making laddu prasadam of the famous hill shrine during YSRCP rule had animal fat in it.

The YSRCP has denied the allegations and accused Naidu of hurting the sentiments of millions of devotees. Chandrababu Naidu had also questioned Jagan Mohan Reddy why he did not sign an affidavit while visiting Tirumala temple that he was a believer of Lord Venkateswara.

The Chief Minister recalled that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam had signed such affidavits while visiting the temple. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to Tirumala was announced a few hours after YSRCP appealed to devotees to participate in puja in temples across the state on September 28.

Jagan Mohan Reddy urged people to stand against the false claims made by Chandrababu Naidu. He said Naidu spread misinformation, claiming that Tirumala’s sacred laddu prasadam was adulterated with animal fat, which misled devotees and tarnished the revered image of Lord Venkateswara.

The YSRCP said that this act, driven by political motives, deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees. The party has called for participation in pooja at temples across the state on September 28 to purify Tirumala’s sacredness and restore the honour of Lord Venkateswara's prasadam. "The sanctity of Tirumala, the significance of Swami’s prasadam, the glory of Lord Venkateswara, the fame of TTD, and the sacredness of the laddu prasadam of Lord Venkateswara were all defiled by Chandrababu Naidu, who, with political malice, deliberately spread lies that the prasadam was adulterated with animal fat and that devotees had consumed such tainted prasadam. In order to cleanse this sin committed by Chandrababu Naidu, the YSRCP is calling for participation in poojas across temples statewide on Saturday, September 28th,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.