The controversy surrounding the Tirupati laddu has led to a verbal spat between actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan and renowned actor Prakash Raj with the latter accusing the Andhra deputy chief minister of escalating the matter to a national level.
In an X post, the Andhra deputy CM cited the need to constitute a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ to address issues of all temples in the country.
“Maybe the time has come to constitute a ‘Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board’ at a national level to look into all the issues related to temples in Bharath. A debate has to happen at a national level by all the policymakers, religious heads, judiciary, citizens, media and all others in their respective domains. I think we all should come together to put an end to the desecration of ‘Sanatana Dharma’ in any form,” Kalyan said in his X post.
‘Don’t blow up the issue’
Reacting to Pawan Kalyan’s post, versatile actor Prakash Raj accused him of blowing a regional issue into a national controversy. While expressing strict action against those linked with the involvement of animal fat in the Tirupati laddus, Prakash Raj said there were enough communal issues in the country.
He posted on his social media, “Dear Pawan Kalyan, it has happened in a state where you are a Deputy Chief Minister. Please investigate and find out the culprits and take stringent action. Why are you spreading apprehensions and blowing up the issue nationally? We have enough communal tensions in the country.”
Fun for you, not us: Pawan Kalyan
Reacting strongly to Prakash Raj’s X post, a visibly angry Andhra deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan lashed out at the actor saying, “Enough of this! It might be fun for you, not for us. We are extremely hurt. Don’t make a mockery out of our sentiments.”
In a press meeting held recently, Pawan Kalyan said, “Prakash Raj garu, You have to learn your lessons. Secularism is two-way. When it comes to Sanatan Dharma, you have to think 100 times before saying a word,” Pawan Kalyan fumed.
Kalyan is currently on an 11-day ‘Praschit Deeksha’ (penance) at a temple in Guntur district for alleged adulteration of animal fat in Tirupati laddu.
The actor-politician said after the Deeksha, he would seek the blessings of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy in Tirumala to pray to God to give him the strength to cleanse the sins committed by past rulers.
Responding to Pawan Kalyan’s condemnation statements, actor Prakash Raj said his post had been clearly misunderstood.
“Dear @PawanKalyan garu..I saw your press meeting.. what I have said and what you have misinterpreted are surprising. I’m shooting abroad. Will come back to reply to your questions.. meanwhile, I would appreciate it if you could go through my tweet earlier and understand #justasking,” the actor wrote on X.
On September 19, Andhra chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the previous YSRCP government had allowed the use of substandard ingredients and animal fat to make the world-renowned Tirupati laddu.
While Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and its chief Jagan Mohan Reddy have strongly denied Naidu’s claims, a lab report claimed the presence of “lard” (relating to pig fat) and fish oil in the samples.
In the wake of the controversy which is growing deeper each day, CM Naidu announced that all temples in the state will be sanitised.
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