Andhra Pradesh’s deputy chief minister, Pawan Kalyan, begins atonement (reparation for a sin) for not being able to detect animal fat in laddu prasadam given at Tirumala Tirupati temple.
శ్రీ దశావతార వేంకటేశ్వర స్వామి దేవాలయంలో దీక్ష తీసుకుంటున్న ఉప ముఖ్యమంత్రి శ్రీ @PawanKalyan గారు ♥️
ఓం నమో వేంకటేశాయ 🙏 pic.twitter.com/72LymCWyto
— Pawan Kalyan Crew (@PSPKCrew) September 22, 2024
In a recent post on social media platform X, Kalyan expressed his deep shock and outrage over allegations that animal fat had been used in the preparation of the sacred Tirumala Laddu Prasadam. He called the incident “a stain on the Hindu race” and condemned what he termed as “depraved tendencies” of previous rulers responsible for the alleged impurity.
Kalyan stated, “The Tirumala Laddu Prasadam, which is regarded as holy, has been desecrated by the immoral acts of past leaders. Not realizing this sin earlier is a blot on the Hindu community. When I learned that the Laddu Prasadam contained animal remains, I was devastated. I feel responsible, and as someone who is constantly working for the welfare of the people, it pains me that I was unaware of this issue sooner.”
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan undertakes an 11-day ‘Prayaschitta Diksha’ at Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple, in Guntur, over the alleged adulteration of the Tirumala’s Laddu Prasadam.
“I am deeply hurt on a personal level by the malicious attempts made… pic.twitter.com/r7Nm5ysbrW
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2024
He urged all followers of Sanatana Dharma to take action to rectify what he called a “terrible injustice” against the God of Kali Yuga. To atone for the situation, Kalyan announced that he would undertake a penance. “On September 22, 2024, I will begin a penance initiation at the Sri Dashavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Nambur, Guntur District. This initiation will last for 11 days, after which I will visit Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy,” he declared.
Kalyan also referred to the alleged use of adulterated ghee during the administration of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. He accused those responsible of having “no faith in God and no fear” in committing such “crimes.” Furthermore, he suggested that temple administrators either failed to notice or were too fearful to address the issue because of the influence of “demonic rulers” at the time.
“It seems they were intimidated by the evil rulers of that era. Their actions, which desecrated the sanctity and religious duties of Tirumala—considered Vaikuntha Dham—have caused deep hurt to everyone who follows Hindu dharma. The use of ghee containing animal remains in the preparation of Laddu Prasadam has caused widespread outrage. Now, the time has come to restore Dharma and take action,” Kalyan concluded.