A post going viral on social media (here, here, and here) claims that the higher-ups of the company contracted to supply ghee for prasadam at the Tirumala temple are Muslims. The post also questions whether Hindus can manage Muslim organizations and calls for increased Hindu control over temples without government oversight. Let’s verify the claim in the post through this article.
Claim: A.R Dairy Food Private Limited, the supplier of ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), is run by Muslims.
Fact: The viral screenshot showing officials of AR Foods (Pvt) Limited is a firm from Pakistan. On the other hand, one of the suppliers of ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is AR Dairy Food Private Limited, a Tamil Nadu based company which is managed by Rajasekaran R., with Suria Prabha R. and Srinivasan S. R. as directors. The viral screenshot was edited and falsely linked it to AR Dairy Food Private Limited in Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The post is shared amid controversy following a lab report that allegedly found “beef tallow,” “pig lard,” and “fish oil” in the ghee used to make Laddu Prasadam at the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. AR Dairy Food Private Limited in Tamil Nadu was one of the suppliers of ghee for Prasadam to TTD.
The viral screenshot identifies the company as AR Foods (Pvt) Limited. A Google search revealed two similarly named companies: one in India and one in Pakistan, specifically AR Foods (Pvt) Limited (Pakistan), and AR Dairy Food Private Limited (India). A Google Lens search of the viral screenshot led us to the Pakistan company’s profile on Rocket Reach, confirming that AR Foods (Pvt) Limited is based in Islamabad.
We found that the viral screenshot of the employees’ profiles was taken from that platform, and a comparison of both screenshots revealed that the locations of the employees in the viral screenshot had been edited.
The official website of this company confirms that AR Foods is based in Islamabad, Pakistan. It states, “A.R. Foods is a generations-old household name in Pakistan, known for high-quality products that are staples in kitchens. Founded in 1970, the company is committed to delivering valuable products,” with packaged spices among its major offerings.
Further, a Google keyword search for “AR Dairy Food Private Limited” led us to the official website of Raaj Milk, confirming the company is based in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. The website states, “A.R. Dairy Food Private Limited, established in 1995, focuses on producing milk and milk products, dedicated to delivering the highest nutritional value to customers.” This is one of the companies that supplied ghee to TTD, not the Pakistan firm.
The directors’ section on the website lists Rajasekaran R. as managing director, with Suria Prabha R. and Srinivasan S R as directors, contradicting the viral claim that the company is run by Muslims. The technical team also contradicts the viral names. A search on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website confirms Rajasekaran Suriyaprabha and Srinivasalunaidu Ramchandran Srinivasan as directors, with Raju Rajasekaran as MD.
Additionally, we found reports (here and here) stating that the Tamil Nadu-based dairy company, founded in 1995, is managed by three directors: Rajasekaran R, Suria Prabha R, and Srinivasan SR.
To sum up, an edited screenshot listing employees of a Pakistan-based food retailer is falsely linked to a Tamil Nadu firm that supplied ghee for prasadam to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.
