New Delhi: Amid a raging row over the alleged presence of animal fat in Tirupati Laddu, spiritual leader and Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on Sunday said beef tallow in temple 'prasadam' was beyond disgusting.
Advocating that the temples should be run by devotees and not by government and administrations, he said "Where there is no Devotion, there shall be no sanctity.
In a post on social media platform X, he said: "Devotees consuming beef tallow in the Temple prasadam is beyond disgusting. This is why Temples should be run by Devotees, not by government administrations. Where there is no Devotion, there shall be no sanctity. Time the Hindu Temples are run by devout Hindus, not by government administration."
On Saturday, former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam expressed concern over the issue and called it a "very dangerous conspiracy" targeting Sanatan Dharma.
The controversy over the 'prasadam' erupted after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu claimed on September 18 that under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's government, animal fat and substandard ingredients were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus.
He claimed that even the Tirumala laddu was made with substandard ingredients.
"They compromised on the quality of 'Annadanam' (free meals) and even contaminated the sacred Tirumala Laddu by using animal fat instead of ghee," he said but added that after the change of government, the laddu is being made with pure ghee.
However, YSRCP MP and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam's (TTD) former Chairman Y. V. Subba Reddy denied CM Naidu's claims of adulteration, clarifying that TTD used only pure cow ghee and organic products for the 'prasadam'.
With the controversy refusing to die down, BJP's youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on Sunday staged a protest at the residence of Jagan Mohan Reddy, demanding his apology over the same.
The controversy has sparked widespread outrage with many questioning the motive behind the act and demanding strict action against those responsible.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)