Tirupati laddu row: TTD denies devotee’s claim of millipede in prasad

Days after a devotee alleged to have found a millipede in his curd rice, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has dismissed claims that insects were found in the prasad (temple offering) at the Lord Venkateswara Tirupati temple, reported Hindustan Times.
Earlier on Wednesday, a devotee claimed that he found a millipede in his curd rice while lunch was being served at the temple at 1.30 pm.
Chandu, travelled from Warangal to visit the temple, said as quoted by India Today, “When I raised the issue with the staff, their response was shockingly casual. They said, ‘It happens sometimes.’”
He also documented the incident with photos and videos. Following this, he was approached by temple authorities as they first tried to dismiss the seriousness and later resorted to intimidate him.
According to Chandu, the temple authorities claimed that the insect came from the leaf used for serving.
“This negligence is unacceptable. If children or others were to consume contaminated food, who would be held responsible for potential food poisoning?” said Chandu.
Meanwhile, TTD termed them as “baseless and false”, insisiting the prasad was made fresh in the temple daily for thousands of people and an insect would have been detected.
“TTD prepares hot Anna prasadam for thousands of devotees who come for Srivari Darshan and it is an unconvincing claim that a millipede could fall into the food unnoticed,” their statement said.
They also claimed that the comments made against the prasad could be an attempt to defame the institution and lead devotees astray of their faith in Lord Venkateswara.
The following incident comes amid the controversy where the infamous Tirupati laddu has faced scrutiny due to allegations of the presence of animal fat in them.
The matter is being investigated by the CBI, who are looking into the claims of animal fat in the laddu under Supreme Court orders.
With agency inputs.