( MENAFN - IANS) Amaravati, Sep 22 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Sunday began his 11-day 'Praschit Deeksha' (penance) at a temple in Guntur district for alleged adulteration of animal fat in Tirupati laddu.

Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has embarked on an 11-day penance ritual following the controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in the Tirumala laddu prasadam. He expressed his regret for not detecting the issue earlier and called the incident a "stain on the Hindu race.

The laddu row began with Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu slamming the previous YSRCP regime for the alleged use of substandard ingredients and animal fats in the Tirupati laddu.

AR Dairy, a Tamil Nadu-based supplier of ghee to the renowned Tirumala Tirupati temple, has strongly denied allegations of animal fat

A controversy has emerged over the alleged use of substandard ingredients and animal fat in Tirupati laddu preparation. The Telugu Desam Party claims a Gujarat lab confirmed the presence of beef tallow,

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the temple, asserted there was presence of 'Lard' (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee, citing a lab report.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has said that he will seek atonement for not being able to detect adulteration in laddu prasadam given at Tirumala Tirupati temple. For reparation for the "sin",

Andhra Pradesh’s deputy chief minister, Pawan Kalyan, begins atonement (reparation for a sin) for not being able to detect animal fat in laddu prasadam given at Tirumala Tirupati temple. శ్రీ దశావతార వేంకటేశ్వర స్వామి దేవాలయంలో దీక్ష తీసుకుంటున్న ఉప ముఖ్యమంత్రి శ్రీ @PawanKalyan గారు ♥️ In a recent post on social media platform X,

Nearly one crore pieces get sold a month, fondly gifted and shared by devotees and politicians alike, Tirupati laddu is highly sought after in all circles.

Making the announcement on X (formally twitter), the Andhra Pradesh deputy CM said that the inability to detect the alleged adulteration of Tirumala Laddu Prasadam is a “stain on the Hindu race.”

Pawan Kalyan said he will begin the ritualistic penance from Sunday at Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy temple at Namburu in Guntur district