Tirupati laddu row: SC says Gods should be kept away from politics
There is no evidence yet that ghee adulterated with animal fat was used to prepare the laddu prasadam at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, the Supreme Court said on Monday, marking a huge twist in the sensational case that has shocked millions of devotees and stoked a bitter political controversy.
The top court chastised chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for what it called were selective and premature statements, noting that there was “absolutely nothing” at this stage to support claim that animal fat was used.
It also didn’t approve of remarks from a high constitutional office in the middle of a probe, representing a setback for the CM on the hot button issue.
The court also halted the state’s special investigation team (SIT) probe and agreed to consider whether it should be transferred to an independent body in the wake of public statements by Naidu, who attacked his predecessor Jagan Mohan Reddy over the issue.
“When you hold a constitutional office, it is expected that you exercise restraint…We expect Gods to be kept away from politics…Prima facie, there is no concrete proof at this stage to show that adulterated ghee was used in the laddus,” said the bench, comprising justices Bhushan R Gavai and KV Viswanathan.
The apex court also questioned the necessity of the CM going to the press without proper evidence and amid an ongoing investigation, referring to his public statement on September 18 which alleged that lab tests found traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard in the laddus consumed by tens of thousands of devotees every day.