Amid reports of substances like beef fat and fish oil being found in the prasad of Tirupati Balaji Temple, several misleading claims related to it are going viral on social media platforms.
What's the claim?: The screenshot below is being circulated to claim that it shows the names of the top officials of the company that supplied ghee to the temple. It insinuates that the management of the company belong to the Muslim community.
Is this claim true?: No, the claim is false. The viral post does not show the names of people working in the Indian company AR Dairy Food Private Limited.
It actually shows the names of individuals working for a Pakistani company called 'AR Foods (Pvt) Limited'.
The Indian company that supplied ghee for Tirupati Balaji temple is based in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.
However, after the formation of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led government in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka Milk Federation's Nandini Ghee is being used for prasad.
About the controversy of Tirupati Balaji Prasad: As the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government completed 100 days in Andhra Pradesh, a legislative meeting of the party was held in Vijayawada on 18 September.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the ghee used in the prasad at the temple was adulterated with animal fat during the previous YSRCP-led government's tenure.
Following this, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy showed a document claiming that it was the report of tests conducted on the prasad by the National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat.
The document mentioned that beef fat, fish oil, and lard were used in the prasad.
It should be noted that beef fat refers to cow fat and lard means pig fat. YSRCP and AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd have rejected all these claims.
How did we find that out?: We looked for all the names seen in the viral post on LinkedIn and noted their companies. On going through the profiles, we found that all of them had put Pakistan as their location.
The name of the company was mentioned as 'AR Foods (Pvt) Limited'.
On going through the official website of AR Foods (Pvt) Limited, we found the company is actually registered in Pakistan.
We found that the said company produces spices, rice, snacks, dessert, and health products in Pakistan. There was no evidence of AR Foods (Pvt) Limited producing any type of ghee.
Geolocating the Indian company: Using the help of Google Maps, we were able to locate AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd, which is situated near Dindigul in Tamil Nadu. This is the company that has been at the centre of controversy for the prasad.
According to a report published in Hindustan Times, this Tamil Nadu-based company was started in 1995.
The company's official website lists out three directors namely - Rajasekaran R, Suria Prabha R, and Srinivasan SR.
Contrary to the claims made in the viral post, none of the owners or board directors of the company belong to the Muslim community.
Team WebQoof has reached out to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which is the trust that manages the temple. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
YSRCP denied allegations: Former Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has denied the allegations of elements like fat and fish oil being present in the prasad.
The party has filed a petition in the state high court seeking a court-monitored probe into the claims made by the ruling party.
Conclusion: It is clear that the viral post is being shared with a false communal claim.
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