A senior executive of the Gujarat-based dairy firm Amul said on Saturday that the company has filed an FIR against those responsible for a “misinformation campaign” alleging that it provided ghee containing “animal fat” to the Tirupati Balaji temple in Andhra Pradesh.
“In Andhra Pradesh, the ghee used in Tirupati was found to be adulterated. Some individuals attempted to disseminate misinformation suggesting that the ghee was from Amul. Consequently, we have filed an FIR with the cybercrime branch in Ahmedabad,” said Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Amul’s parent company, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), regarding the incident.
Additionally, Mehta asserted that since “36 lakh families” are connected to the brand, the campaign against Amul is a “serious issue.”
“Our products are of top quality and are subjected to stringent quality checks. We urge people to remain cautious of the propaganda against us,” he stated.
Mehta further stated that Amul has “never been a supplier” to the temple’s managing trust, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).
Lavina Sinha, DCP, Cyber Crime, Ahmedabad Police, has confirmed Amul’s FIR.
“Yesterday, we received a complaint from its employees and an FIR has been registered. As per the employees, a few people with fake social media accounts have spread this misinformation that the ghee used in Tirupati ‘prasadam’ contained animal fat and Amul provided that ghee to the temple,” she said.
The controversy started when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that during the rule of his political rival and predecessor, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, “substandard ingredients,” including animal fat, were utilised to make “laddus” offered as “prasadam” at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati.
Reddy sharply denied the accusations and charged Naidu of “playing politics on religious matters.”
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