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Keep God out of politics: SC on Tirupati laddu row
The top court chastised chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for what it called were "selective and premature statements."
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.
The bench underlined the gravity of the issue, pointing out that it affected the religious sentiments of millions of devotees of Lord Venkateshwara, the deity of the Tirumala temple, and that prudence required the CM to await the conclusion of the probe.
“We are prima facie of the view that when investigation was under process, it was not appropriate on the part of a high constitutional functionary to make statements, which can affect public sentiments. In that view of the matter, it would be appropriate that solicitor general Tushar Mehta assists us in deciding as to whether the SIT already appointed should continue or should the probe be conducted by an independent agency,” stated the bench in its order, fixing the next hearing on October 3.
The sharp statements from the top court triggered a row in Andhra Pradesh, with senior YSR Congress party leader and former Andhra Pradesh endowments minister Vellampalli Srinivas demanding a probe into the “baseless and irresponsible” allegations made by Naidu.
“His allegations have hurt the sentiments of millions of people. The Supreme Court has made the right observations on why Naidu made such statements even before ordering a probe by the SIT and why the TTD authorities had not taken second opinion on the laddu adulteration,” Srinivas said.
The bench was hearing a clutch of petitions seeking a court-supervised committee to investigate claims of the usage of ghee adulterated with animal fat in the preparation of the laddus. The petitioners included BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, YV Subba Reddy (Rajya Sabha MP from YSR Congress and former chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams or TTD Board), historian Dr Vikram Sampath, spiritual speaker Dushyanth Sridhar, and Suresh Khanderao Chavhanke, editor of Sudarshan News TV.
The controversy first arose on September 18, when Naidu alleged that his predecessor allowed the use of substandard ingredients and animal fat in the laddus. Then on September 19, the Telugu Desam Party released a lab report, run by the National Dairy Development Board (NDBB) in Anand, that purportedly confirmed the presence of “beef tallow” “fish oil” and “lard” in the ghee samples sent by TTD, which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.
The sample receipt date was July 9 and the lab report was dated July 16 – both dates coming after Naidu had taken charge as CM. In response, Reddy, who was forced to scrap his visit to Tirupati last week after right-wing protests over his Christian faith, accused Naidu of making “heinous allegations” for political advantage.
But on Monday, the court pointed out discrepancies in the lab report. “This report prima facie indicates that the material tested was not used in the preparation of the prasadam. The report is not clear enough to substantiate the claim that the ghee used in the laddus was adulterated,” observed the bench.
Pressing further on whether the ghee flagged as adulterated was ever used to make laddus, it added, “Where is the proof that this ghee was used in making the laddus? If you have not completed your investigation, how can you go public with such a statement? There was no material before you to justify the conclusion that adulterated ghee was used for the laddus. Why was there a need to make a public statement before the investigation was complete?”
The court took issue with the manner in which the SIT was formed and questioned the need for public statements during an ongoing investigation.
“Once you ordered the SIT, why was it necessary to make public statements before the investigation was completed? When such statements are made by high constitutional functionaries during an ongoing investigation, what effect does it have on the integrity of the probe and on the SIT officers? By issuing a statement, you have not affected the sentiments of just one lakh or two lakh persons but crores of them,” it observed.
Senior counsel Sidharth Luthra, representing TTD, took the court through a series of dates relating to the procurement of ghee and its testing. He mentioned that complaints about the quality of the laddu emerged in early June, leading to tests being conducted on ghee supplied in late June and early July. The senior counsel added that a fresh supply of ghee arrived on July 6 and was sent for further testing at NDDB.
However, the bench was not convinced that the ghee in question was used in the laddus. “Once you approve the supply, and ghee is mixed, how do you segregate and identify which batch was used?” asked the bench, pointing to the difficulty in tracking the exact source of any contamination.
The bench also pointed out the inconsistencies in the testing process, asking whether samples from all tankers were taken for analysis. “Did the lab take samples from the June 12 tanker and the June 20 tanker? What were the results of those tests? And if those samples were not tested, it is only your assumption that they were also contaminated and used in the laddus,” it questioned.
The petitions filed by Swamy and Reddy stressed the need to preserve the temple’s traditions, arguing that making laddus as prasadam is a religious practice protected under Article 25 of the Constitution. They called for an independent investigation to look into the allegations of adulteration. On the other hand, the petition jointly filed by Sampath and Sridhar sought reducing government control over Hindu temples, particularly those managed by state authorities and ensuring greater accountability. Chavhanke’s petition sought an investigation led by a retired Supreme Court judge or former high court chief justice.
TDP leader and president of state Brahmin Chaitanya Vedika Siripuram, Sridhar Sharma, said it was not appropriate on the part of the Supreme Court to say that there was no evidence to say that ghee used in Tirupati laddu was adulterated during the YSRCP regime.
He said the chief minister had made the statement after going through the lab report submitted by the TTD. “Had he not disclosed the report, it would have given the impression that he was defending the mistakes committed in the past. He disclosed the report only to tell the devotees that such mistakes would not recur,” Sharma said, adding that it was his responsibility as the head of the state.
At the centre of the battle is India’s richest temple, which gets 90,000 visitors a day and is considered among the most important shrines of Hinduism. The presiding deity, Sri Venkateswara, along with his consort Padmavathi are believed to have manifested in Tirumala, a seven-hill range in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
Its iconic prasadam is the laddu, of which nearly 10 million pieces get sold a month. According to the temple’s annual report on its website, it earns ₹500 crore as revenue from the yearly sale of laddus.
