Display of Ladu Prasad at Sri Venkeshwara Swamy TTD Temple in Vijayawada. | Photo credit: GN Rao

The Supreme Court said on Monday (September 30, 2024) that there is currently Nothing to show for this beast’s fat. was used in the preparation of During the previous Tirupati Ladu Andhra Pradesh is governed by the Yuvajana Srika Rithu Congress Party (YSRCP).

The court said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu “Gods should have been kept out of politics” before making public statements based on uncertain facts that pork was used to prepare laddoos in the previous regime, affecting the religious sentiments of millions of people across the world.

A bench of Justices BR Gowai and KV Viswanathan said that Mr. Naidu behaved inappropriately with a senior constitutional activist.

The court pointed out that The Andhra Pradesh government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Only on September 26 to investigate allegations of pollution at Prasadam. The first information report was filed on September 25. Yet Mr. Naidu appeared before the media on September 18 without any evidence to support his claims.

“We are of the prima facie view that when an investigation is in progress, it was not proper for a high constitutional officer to go public and make a statement that would affect the sentiments of crores of people,” the court said in its judgment. Order

Justice Viswanathan noted that the test reports available in the public domain initially did not indicate the use of animal fat in the preparation of laddus. “As we stand today, there is nothing to show that the ghee used was contaminated,” the judge said.

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Justice Gwai asked whether the samples sent for testing were taken from the same ghee used for prasadam.

“You should have at least kept the gods out of politics,” Justice Gwai told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the state.

The bench verbally asked the SIT to “hold its hand” till October 3, the next day of hearing.

Meanwhile, he requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist the court in examining whether the SIT should continue or the probe should be transferred to an independent central agency.

The court cited media reports in which the Chief Executive Officer of Thirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the famous temple, categorically denied any misuse of ghee used in prasadam. .

“He actually said that contaminated ghee was never used… 100%,” Justice Gwaii said.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for TTD, said the lids “do not taste right” and complaints were frequent.

“Was the wrong-tasting laddoos sent for tasting then?” Justice Gwai asked Mr. Luthra, who had promised an inquiry on the point.

Senior advocate for the state Mukul Rohatgi said the petitions, including one filed by a former Rajya Sabha member, were not filed with genuine intention. Their aim was only to attack the existing state government.

The petitions demanded an independent investigation into the allegations and the establishment of a regulatory mechanism for religious affairs and the preparation of offerings.