Karthi apologizes to Pawan Kalyan over laddu remark amid Tirupati controversy

Actor Karthi has publicly apologized to Telugu superstar and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan, following an earlier remark that offended the politician. In a tweet posted today, Karthi expressed his regret, saying: "Dear @PawanKalyan sir, with deep respect to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards."

Karthi's apology comes after Pawan Kalyan took issue with a light-hearted comment made by Karthi during the promotions of Satyam Sundaram, the Telugu version of Meiyazhagan. When asked to respond to a meme featuring laddus, Karthi joked, "Laddu is a sensitive topic now, let's not talk about it."

ALSO READ: Pawan Kalyan warns Meiyazhagan actor Karthi over laddu comment: 'Don't you dare...'

The comment referred to the ongoing controversy surrounding Tirupati Laddu, which has become a major political issue in Andhra Pradesh. The state government had accused temple authorities of using adulterated ghee, allegedly containing animal fat, in the preparation of the laddus. Pawan Kalyan, who is leading protests against the incident, has described the issue as a defilement of Hindu beliefs and has undertaken 11 days of penance in response.

Following Karthi’s remark, Pawan issued a stern warning to the film industry, urging them to treat the matter with seriousness and respect. "You’re making jokes about laddus. At a recent film event, I saw someone say, ‘Laddu is a sensitive issue.’ Don’t you dare ever say that. I respect you as actors, but when it comes to Sanatana Dharma, you have to think 100 times before speaking," Pawan said on Tuesday.

Pawan is yet to react to Karthi's statemenet. 

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