Tirupati Prasad Row: SC To Hear Petitions Seeking Probe Into 'Use Of Animal Fat' In Laddoos On Monday
The petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman YV Subba Reddy.
The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions seeking a probe into the alleged use of animal fat in the preparation of laddoos 'prasadam' in Tirupati on Monday.
The petitions have been filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman YV Subba Reddy, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the YSR Congress Party. They have requested a court-monitored probe into the allegations.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had alleged the presence of animal fat in the ghee that was used to make the famous laddoos at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati during the tenure of the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government, sparking a massive controversy.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government appointed a nine-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged use of adulterated ghee in Tirupati laddoos. The SIT will be headed by Guntur range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sarvashresth Tripathi and other police officials.
However, YSRCP leaders demanded for a Supreme Court-monitored probe, saying that probing the allegations by an agency reporting to the CM is insufficient.
The BJP leader, in his PIL, filed earlier this week, requested the Supreme Court to direct the Andhra government to submit a detailed report on the ghee used for making the laddoos. He also sought a detailed forensic report.
Last week, the state government had cited a report by a Gujarat laboratory, claiming that the ghee used in the preparation of Tirupati laddoos was found to have traces of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat).
"There ought to have been checks and balances internally to supervise and verify and check the quality or the lack of it, of the suppliers supplying various ingredients to the temple which go into the making of the prasad," the petition said.
YV Subba Reddy also filed a PIL before the Supreme Court seeking the constitution of an independent special investigation team (SIT), monitored by a retired Supreme Court judge, to investigate Naidu's allegations against the previous YSRCP government.
Reddy has been backing the YSRCP since Naidu made the allegations and has repeatedly stated that no adulterated ghee was used in the making of the laddoos.
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