The Tirupati laddu prasadam ghee adulteration allegations and subsequent reports have caused severe heartache and shock to devout Hindus across the country, and probably the world. But at such a time, when one Hindu must give solace to the other and unite to fight such corruption in prasadam, several HINOs and Hinduphobics, like termites, were exposed as they displayed blatant Hinduphobia. This article is a compilation of the hate that Hindus received after the controversy broke.

Politicians mock Hindus

In Tamil Nadu, I.N.D.I. Ally, VCK’s leader Thirumavalavan downplayed the Tirupati Laddu controversy, stating animal fat use in food is common worldwide. He suggested guidelines to prevent such issues in future. He said, “In most sweets or food products, using animal fat is normal and is a common practice across the world. I don’t know why it is being politicized. If it (Tirupati Laddu) should not contain animal/beef fat, then accordingly guidelines should be framed to prevent such occurrences in the future.”

Known for his anti-Hindu stance, Thirumavalavan has previously made controversial statements about Hindu temples, called the murtis adoring the gopurams as “ugly”. Earlier he also said, “Building a temple is a business. I am not joking. Unlike any other business, building temples is the most profitable and provides the highest income. Which other business is more profitable than the income generated by the Tirupati temple? What are the temple’s income and expenditure? People donate money to the Tirupathi temple. People pour money into the Ayyappan temple.”

YouTube video mocks Hindus

A recent YouTube video by the popular Tamil channel Parithabangal stirred controversy by satirising the ongoing Tirupati Laddu issue. The video, titled “Laddu Paavangal,” mocked Hindu devotees, particularly vegetarians and Brahmins, over allegations of animal fat being used in the sacred laddus offered at the Tirupati temple. The now-deleted video had content that featured stereotypical characters and scenarios, including:

• An intolerant Hindu vegetarian confronted by a non-vegetarian colleague
• Devotees discovering the alleged contamination of laddus
• Mockery of temple security measures
• Caricatures of elderly Brahmins lamenting moral decay

The video dramatizes reactions to the controversy, showing characters casually dismissing concerns about animal fat in the laddus. It also ridicules an elderly Brahmin woman’s viral statement about avoiding the prasadam due to dietary choices.

The Dravidianists that they are, they even mocked Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s 11-day penance, which is an act of atonement for paapam committed on sacred ground.

This specific episode of Parithabangal reflected the Dravidianist perspective on the matter, much like the DMK’s publication Murasoli, which also ridiculed Hindus over the laddu adulteration.

This satirical take on the Tirupati Laddu controversy was a part of the broader trend in Tamil Nadu’s media landscape, where Hindu practices and beliefs are targeted for ridicule. The video’s approach to addressing sensitive religious and cultural issues through humor offended devout Hindus while attempting to comment on the ongoing debate. While the video was made private after outrage, the makers did not issue an apology, they just released a statement “regretting” their actions.

TN journalists & Dravidianists mock Hindus

Several Dravidianist propagandists in Tamil Nadu, particularly those aligned with the DMK, have mocked Hindus following reports of Tirupati Laddu prasadam being adulterated with beef tallow, pig fat, and fish oil. Niranjan Kumar, a journalist from Puthiya Thalaimurai, shared posts on social media mocking the situation. He referenced past instances of lynching over cow protection and shared scenes from Tamil movies, insinuating that Hindus were deceived into consuming beef-laden laddus.

Nelson Xavier, another propagandist and alleged journalist, downplayed the outrage, arguing that cow products, including fat, are foodstuffs, thus justifying the presence of beef fat in the prasadam.

Additionally, other DMK supporters and Dravidianists shared memes and posts mocking Brahmins and Hindu devotees, further ridiculing the faith and practices associated with cow worship.

Dravidianists like Varavanai Senthil, known for making anti-Hindu remarks, joined the wave of online mockery, highlighting the fasting rituals during the Purattasi month while ridiculing the alleged presence of beef fat in the holy prasadam.

The most caustic mocking came from Dravidianist and alleged environmental activist, Piyush Manush. On an X video, he said, “Did you get a good laddoo? Just a few days back, we got cream bun a few days ago. We got a good bun. All these days you kept looking at others’ plates if they were consuming beef, you even checked their refrigerators, and you even kill. At least 100 crore people would have visited Tirupati. They would have got laddoos. What happened? Did you enjoy the beef? Did you like it? You are done. At least now do not look at another person’s plate. Go do your work. Perumal himself gave a good laddoo to you.”

This Dravidianist who does a roleplay featuring a gym instructor and a student advises the student to add beef to their diet, only then they will have the strength to build their body. The student replies saying, “Master, you say add beef to diet but Chota Bheem says eat laddu to become strong.” The instructor then says, “Hasn’t he said it correctly?” Then the student realises he has been “fooled” – In Tamil Nadu, the naamam/marks on the forehead are another indication for cheating. By this, the student indicates that he has been fooled all these days as laddus have “beef” in them and Bheem was right all along.

Here’s another one which connected the Chota Bheem and laddu meme with the ongoing issue.

This Dravidianist makes a post saying, “Is Tirupati laddu vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Let’s have a special debate.”

This Congress member also made it a point to ridicule Brahmins, surnames of people and what not.

Here a Dravidianist cartoonist shared a derogatory image of Bhagwan Venkateshwara.

OTT shares distasteful film content mocking Hindus

Adding fuel to fire, a streaming app called Simply South shared movie clips that appeared to mock Hindus over the Tirupati prasadam issue. They posted scenes from films like “Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaya?” and “Aruvam,” which touched on themes related to laddus and food adulteration, seemingly drawing parallels to the current controversy.

Another company, A2B (Adyar Ananda Bhavan), a prominent food outlet chain, attempted to capitalize on the situation by sharing memes related to the controversy on their social media platforms.

Chetan Bhagat also had to say something on the issue. He found it petty on the side of Hindus to complain about adulterated prasadam. He wrote, “Air pollution. Potholes. Not enough college seats. Paper leaks. Poor healthcare. Please enrage on all these as much as alleged Prasad contamination at a particular temple. Btw white sugar is made white with a process involving charred animal bones. Goes in most sweet items.”

To correct Bhagat, refineries in Bharat use sulphur dioxide for bleaching or other traditional methods and do not use bone char as mentioned.

The same Bhagat can be seen virtue signalling Hindus over Deepavali crackers and air pollution most likely.

HINOs like him and Dravidianists are doing more harm than good to the Dharma and culture. They go selectively blind when it coems to issues that affect our country and culture. Wonder if problems of air pollution and potholes would disappear if we stop talking about Hindu Dharma or prasadam adulteration?

These actions have been perceived by many Hindus as insensitive and opportunistic, using a deeply upsetting religious incident for entertainment or commercial gain. The controversy has also reignited discussions about religious respect, food practices, and the politicization of religious issues in India.