New Delhi: The row over animal fat allegedly being used to make the famed Tirupati laddoos reached the Supreme Court on Friday with a lawyer filing a petition alleging that the act violates fundamental Hindu religious customs and deeply hurts the sentiments of countless devotees who consider the ‘prasad’ a sacred blessing.
The petitioner has said the alleged presence of animal fat in the laddoos is symptomatic of larger systemic issues in temple administration and has called for the sanctity of Hindu religious practices being protected.
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Sat 21 Dec. 2024
The controversy began after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said on Wednesday that animal fat was used to make the sought-after laddoos given as ‘prasad’ by the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati under the previous YSR Congress Government. The Andhra Pradesh government then cited a report by a Gujarat laboratory which stated that the ghee used in the laddoos contained traces of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat).
In a letter petition sent to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, lawyer Satyam Singh has said the allegations on the prasad at the temple, managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), have hurt the sentiments of devotees and the alleged act of using animal fat in the laddoos violates Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion, including the right to practice religious customs.
Highlighting several judgments of the Supreme Court that have emphasised the importance of protecting essential religious practices, the petition claims the Tirupati incident is symptomatic of larger systemic issues in temple administration and calls for dedicated and culturally sensitive management of temples.
The lawyer who has sent the letter has also sought the protection of Hindu religious practices and ensuring proper management of sacred institutions, and urged the Supreme Court’s intervention in the matter.
The YSR Congress and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy have rubbished the allegations. In his first statement on the controversy on Friday, Reddy said the claims were false and a diversionary tactic by the TDP.
Union Health Ministry asks for detailed report:
Union Health Minister JP Nadda has asked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for a “detailed report” on allegations there was animal fat in ghee used to make the Tirupati laddoos. The laddoos are ‘prasadam’ to the deity at the temple and offered to crores of devotees who visit every year.
Food Minister Pralhad Joshi, meanwhile, called for a thorough inquiry. “Whatever the Chief Minister said is a matter of serious concern. A detailed enquiry is required and the culprit should be punished.”
Bharatiya Janata Party — allied with the TDP and Jana Sena at the Centre — has been even more forceful in its criticism, with Union Minister and National General Secretary Sanjay Bandi calling it an “unforgivable sin”. He also claimed a communal angle, alleging adulteration of the ghee was because “few people from other religions (had been) inducted” into the board.
Bhanu Prakash Reddy, a BJP MP who was on the board of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam — the government trust that manages the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and others in the state — also raged, demanding a police complaint be filed against the former Chief Minister.
