On Monday, the Supreme Court raised serious concerns over allegations that adulterated ghee, potentially containing animal fat, was used in the preparation of the sacred Tirumala laddus. The court questioned the Andhra Pradesh government’s handling of the matter, asking why it went to the press without confirming these claims. It also censured Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for making public statements on the issue while the investigation was still underway.
The controversy erupted when Chandrababu Naidu alleged that during the rule of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, adulterated ghee was used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, sparking a political row. The Andhra government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the claims, but Jagan Mohan Reddy denied the accusations, calling Naidu’s statements an attempt to divert attention. Meanwhile, a political war of words between the YSR Congress Party and the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) continued to escalate.
The bench led by Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan, expressed concern over the politicization of the issue. Justice Gavai remarked, “At least, we expect Gods to be kept away from politics,” highlighting the need to respect religious sentiments. The court also noted that the ghee sample tested was rejected and asked for evidence to prove that contaminated ghee had been used for preparing the laddus. The court further censured Chandrababu Naidu for making claims while the investigation was ongoing and no FIR had even been lodged.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, acknowledged that it was a matter of faith and affirmed that if contaminated ghee had been used, it would be unacceptable. The court has decided to consider shifting the probe to an independent agency and asked the Solicitor General to return with instructions by October 3.