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Tirupati Laddu row: TDP ‘stands by’ Chandrababu Naidu's statement after Supreme Court raps Andhra CM
After Supreme Court censured Chandrababu Naidu's statement on animal fat in Tirupati prasadam, TDP doubled down on the CM's allegations.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh doubled down on Chandrababu Naidu's allegation of animal fat used to make laddus in Tirupati Tirumala temple, after the Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Andhra Pradesh chief minister for making the claims without an FIR or complete investigation.
The apex court while hearing a petition on the Tirupati laddu row, questioned why Naidu went public with the allegations of animal fat in the ghee used to make the ‘Prasadam’, while the investigation report was still awaited by his government.
Justice K V Viswanathan asked, “You get the report in July. September 18, you go public. You say you ordered an investigation. It is very clear from the report that this is not the ghee which had been used. Unless you are sure, how did you go to the public with that?”
However, Naidu's party TDP held its ground and doubled down on the remarks made by the chief minister, saying that the government stands by the allegations.
Read more: Tirupati Laddu row: Supreme Court to consider shifting probe to independent agency, censures Naidu
“We stand by everything we have said before. Adulterated ghee was used to prepare Tirupati laddus. We welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling today asking the Centre if a central investigation is required. A R Dairy Food Private Limited supplied eight tankers of ghee to TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams),” TDP national spokesperson K Pattabhi Ram said, as quoted by The Indian Express.
The TDP leader added, "When there were complaints from pilgrims regarding the smell and quality of laddus, samples from the remaining four tankers were sent for testing and the reports are there for everyone to see. At ₹319 per kg, it cannot be that the quality of ghee in the first four tankers was pure and the remaining four tankers were adulterated. NDDB has stood by its report on the ghee samples we have sent. The Andhra Pradesh government will furnish all the reports to the SC.”
The Supreme Court government on Monday said that it will soon decide if the matter should be investigated by the state-appointed SIT or it should be probed by an independent agency. The matter has been posted for hearing on October 5.
