A day after Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) said that they cannot provide ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in Andhra Pradesh to make the famous laddus, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday responded to the Opposition’s allegations of “indifference towards temples” and said the supply was stopped in 2021 during the previous BJP government.

“Supply of Nandu ghee was stopped 1.5 years back during the previous BJP government. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, tell me whether the BJP is against Hindus’ devotion or is former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai anti-Hindu?” Siddaramaiah said on Twitter.

The chief minister was responding to BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel’s allegations of Congress government’s “indifference towards temples and Hindu devotion”. “Nandini’s ghee supply to Tirupati laddu has been stopped due to @INCKarnataka police of indifference towards temples and Hindu devotion. 50 years of legacy with Tirupati is watered down and the anti-Hindu policy of @siddaramaiah is the proof,” Kateel had tweeted.
Siddaramaiah further said that if TTD agrees with the quoted price, the KMF was ready to supply ghee to make Tirupati laddus. “The life of the dairy farmers is important to us along with the religious faith of the people. Therefore, if the Tirupati temple agrees to give the price we ask for in the interest of the farmers, we have no problem in supplying ghee.

KMG chairman Bheema Naik on Monday said that it will not be supplying ‘Nandini’ brand ghee to make laddus since it cannot compromise on the price. Naik said the tender process called was below their price, and hence, did not participate in the process as required by the TTD, the trust which manages the temple.
“As we announced a hike in the milk price from August 1, the ghee prices will also go up. The TTD has found a new company which provides them ghee to make Tirupati Laddus at a cheaper price. So, after many years, we had to stop the supply of Nandini ghee to TTD,” Naik said on Monday.

He also said that the ghee of Nandini is made of global standards and other brand ghee cannot match its quality. “I think that the laddus will not be the same anymore. I can also assure that Nandini provides the best ghee in the market and goes through all quality checks. If any brand is supplying ghee for a lesser price than Nandini, I assume that the quality will be compromised,” the KMF president said.