Pawan Kalyan reaches Tirupati temple on foot amid laddu row
Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan walked to Tirumala temple on foot on Wednesday as part of his 11-day penance over the alleged adulteration of the temple laddus with animal fat. The actor-turned-politician undertook the three-hour foot march to the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala to position himself as a protector of Sanatana Dharma. He said, "Prayaschitta Deeksha (penance) is a commitment to take forward Sanatana Dharma protection. (It) is very essential. That is the order of the day."
Kalyan commenced the deeksha on September 22
On September 22, Kalyan commenced the "deeksha" at the Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy temple in Nambur, after performing puja and rituals conducted by priests. He stated that after the deeksha, he will seek the blessings of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy in Tirumala and pray to God for the strength to wash the sins of previous rulers. He said he was pained over the use of ghee adulterated with fish oil and animal fat, and hence he undertook the "Praschit Deekhsha."
Kalyan to visit Tarigonda Vengamamba Nithya Annaprasadam complex
Kalyan was accompanied by his minor daughter, Polena Anjani, who gave a declaration of faith before entering Tirumala temple. Following his visit to the temple, Kalyan is slated to visit the Tarigonda Vengamamba Nithya Annaprasadam complex and spend the night in the hill town. He is also expected to participate in the Varahi public gathering scheduled for the next day in Tirupati.
Kalyan's boss, CM Naidu, had announced SIT probe
State Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had previously announced a Special Investigation Team to probe the irregularities in the Tirupati temple body. However, this probe was stalled after the Supreme Court asked for assistance from the Solicitor General regarding the Central government's opinion on who should investigate. The controversy began when a lab report released on September 19 revealed that the samples of ghee from Tirupati confirmed the presence of beef tallow, lard, and fish oil.
