Tirupati Laddu row: ‘Lab report doesn’t prima facie show impure ghee was used,’ says SC slamming TDP govt

The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led government in Andhra Pradesh over the Tirupati Laddu row wondering what was the need to go to the press when it wasn't clear whether or not the adulterated ghee was used for the preparation of Tirumala sacred confectionery.

The court questioned the propriety of Chief Minister Naidu in making such statements when the matter was under investigation. The top court told the Andhra Pradesh government's counsel that the lab reports indicated that the ghee that was subjected to test was the rejected ghee.

“Till outcome of SIT probe, what was the need to go to the press?” the court asked, as per legal news website LiveLaw.

A bench of Supreme Court Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan was hearing a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the Tirupati laddus controversy.

Keep Gods away from politics

“At least the Gods should be kept away from politics,” the Supreme Court said. The court also said that while the sample could have contained soyabean oil, it doesn’t mean fish oil was used.

The top court also considered shifting the probe into claims that ghee adulterated with animal fat was used to prepare laddus to an independent agency. The court has asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to come back with instructions on October 3.

“The petition pertains to sentiments affecting crores of people living in the entire world. The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh had gone in public making a statement that animal fat was being used to make Tirupati laddus under the previous regime,” the court said.

“However, some press reports also show that the Chief Executive Officer of the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam had also made a statement that such an adulterated ghee was never used. The petitions have been filed seeking various prayers including an independent enquiry and directions for regulating the affairs of the religious trusts and specifically the manufacture of Prasadam,” it said.

Naidu earlier this month claimed that animal fat was being used to prepare sacred Prasadam at the ancient temple. The CM said that during Jagan Mohan Reddy's rule, adulterated ghee was used to make sweet treats at the Tirupati temple.

The Andhra government formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter. Former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy rejected the claim and accused CM Naidu of ‘blatantly lying’ about the Tirupati Laddu Prasadam.