Ayodhya (UP), Sep 20 (PTI) Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of Ayodhya temple, on Friday expressed outrage over alleged discovery of animal fat in ghee used to prepare 'prasad' (laddoos) of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati.

"If animal fat was mixed in the 'prasad', it is unforgivable. Strict action should be taken against people involved in it," said Das.

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Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, while citing a lab report on Friday asserted there was presence of 'lard' (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee.

"Vaishnav saints and devotees do not even use garlic and onions. In such a context, the use of fat in the offerings is very unfortunate. It is a mockery of the Hindu faith. A major agency should investigate this and those found guilty should face action," said Das.

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The chief priest also confirmed that 300 kgs of 'prasad' from the Tirupati temple was distributed to the devotees during the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya earlier in January this year.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)