The Supreme Court, on Monday, came down heavily on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu over his public claim that ghee containing animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in the state and said there was no conclusive evidence to substantiate such a claim.
Further, the apex court asked the chief minister to respect the religious sentiments.
A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan, hearing a batch of pleas seeking a probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making of the laddus in the popular Hindu shrine, asked what was the need to go to press at all when the CM himself had ordered an investigation into this.
"There are some disclaimers in the lab report. It is not clear, and it is prima facie indicating that it was rejected ghee, which was subjected to test. If you yourself have ordered investigation, what was the need to go to press," the bench asked the chief minister.
“...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,” the court observed.
At least the gods should be kept away from politics, the apex court said, and added that it was a matter of sentiments of lakhs of devotees.
