Jagan to visit Tirumala temple on Sep 28, calls for ‘forgiveness’ rituals for AP CM’s ‘sin’ | India News – Times of India

Jagan to visit Tirumala temple on Sep 28, calls for ‘forgiveness’ rituals for AP CM’s ‘sin’

NEW DELHI: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala Hills on September 28 as part of statewide temple rituals initiated by the party. The rituals are aimed at atoning for the ‘sin’ allegedly committed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who accused the YSRCP of using substandard ingredients, including animal fat, in the making of Tirupati laddus.
According to party sources, Reddy is expected to arrive at Tirumala on the night of September 27 and stay overnight. A statement from the party confirmed, “YSRCP President and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on September 28.”
In a call to action on Wednesday, Reddy urged people across Andhra Pradesh to participate in temple rituals (pooja) on September 28, seeking to “atone for the sins” that Naidu allegedly committed by making false claims regarding the temple laddus.
This follows Naidu’s recent allegations during an NDA legislative party meeting, where he accused the previous YSRCP government of compromising the sanctity of the Sri Venkateswara temple by using adulterated ingredients, including animal fat, in the famous laddu prasadam.
Naidu’s remarks have sparked widespread outrage, and in response, Reddy took to social media, saying, “YSRCP is calling for statewide rituals in temples to purify (undo) this sin committed by Chandrababu on Saturday, September 28.”
Reddy further accused Naidu of fabricating the allegations for political gain, saying, “Though no adulteration with animal fat occurred, he intentionally lied and falsely claimed that devotees consumed it.”
Meanwhile, deputy CM Pawan Kalyan has embarked on an 11-day penance to appease the deity over the alleged sacrilege.