New Delhi:

Religion and politics cannot be allowed to mix, the Supreme Court said Monday while hearing three petitions over allegations that animal fat was found in the ghee used to make the laddoos, or devotional offerings, ‘fed’ to the deity and given to devotees at Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati temple.

In a series of pointed questions and sharp observations, the top court underlined the lack of definitive proof of contamination of ghee or, if it was indeed contaminated, that the affected ghee was used to make the laddoos. The court also pointed to an ongoing inquiry and a “false positive” testing caveat.

The court took a dim view of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s public statements on this contentious issue, particularly as his administration had already ordered an inquiry into the findings of a Gujarat lab July’s report claiming fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (pig fat) were found in the ghee.

“When you (the Chief Minister) hold a Constitutional post… we expect Gods to be kept away from politics. If you had already ordered (an) investigation, what was the need to go to the press? The lab report came in July… your statement came in September. (And) the report is not at all clear…”

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan was distinctly unhappy with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s September 20 comments, in which he hit out at his rival and predecessor, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, over the alleged presence of animal fats in Tirupati laddoo ghee.

The matter was then directed for Thursday afternoon, with the court warning the Chief Minister against a ‘hat-trick’ of unnecessary comments. “There should be restraint…” he was told.

READ | Andhra Government Cites Lab Report In Row Over Animal Fat

Mr Naidu’s comments were soon echoed by members of his Telugu Desam Party and allies Jana Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, triggering a massive political row in the southern state. The Chief Minister also proclaimed, and carried out, a ‘purification’ ceremony for the famous temple.

READ | Tirupati Temple ‘Purified’ Amid Row Over Animal Fat In Ghee

Responding to the allegations and attacks, Mr Reddy and his YSR Congress Party have slammed the “malicious” claims and accused the TDP of lying for political gain. The party also said it was Mr Naidu, in fact, who had damaged the temple’s sanctity by making outrageous comments. Mr Reddy later even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused Mr Naidu of being a “pathological liar”.

The row was dragged to the Supreme Court after petitions were filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy. Mr Reddy also served as Chair of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which is the state-run trust that manages the Tirupati temple.

READ | Health Ministry Wants Report As Tirupati Laddoo Row Escalates

Mr Swamy’s petition requests the court to direct the Andhra government to file a detailed forensic report, while Mr Reddy’s asks for an independent special investigation team to probe the charges.

In this, the first day of hearing these petitions, the court came down sharply on the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, noting “You ordered a special investigation. Till the outcome… what was the need to go to the press? You have been always appearing for such… this is the second time…”

The irked top court also pointed out it has not yet been established if the ghee – about which complaints over quality had been received – was, in fact, used to make the laddoos.

Told the investigation into the quality of the ghee is ongoing, Justice Gavai shot back again, “(Then) what was the need to go to the press immediately? You need to respect religious sentiments.”

“Where is proof this was the ghee used to prepare the laddoos?” the court asked, pointing out that tankers delivered on July 6 and 12 were tested and, according to the temple management, never used.

The lab referred to samples from these tankers and not deliveries in June which were used till July 4.

The court also made public a disclaimer in the report prepared by the Centre of Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food lab at the National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat.

Urging senior advocate Siddhartha Luthra, appearing for the TDP, to read it aloud, the court said, “Public (may) not be aware of this… you (the Chief Minister) only gave a statement…”

Mr Luthra then read out, “A false positive can be obtained…method is not applicable to…” and Justice Vishwanathan then said, “Does not prudence dictate you take a second opinion (before going public)? Normally we take a second opinion… no proof that said ghee was used.”

NDTV Explains | How The Laddoos Made And How Ingredients Are Procured

The kitchen at Tirupati makes around three lakh laddoos daily, with around 1,500 kg of ghee and vast amounts of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar used. Reports indicate the ghee was bought from a supplier in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul.

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Former TTD Chairman taking a vow in front of the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Amid the controversy over the alleged use of adulterated ghee in the preparation of laddu prasadam at the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, former Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) B. Karunakar Reddy, a YSRCP leader, on September 24 (Monday) took a public oath to ‘affirm his innocence’.

Holding a camphor lamp, a visibly emotional Mr. Reddy stood at the Akhilandam in front of the main temple complex and took a vow.

Also Read: The laddu as a political weapon

Invoking the Lord, Mr. Reddy said, “If found guilty of any wrongdoing, I am ready to face any punishment. I pray to the Lord not to spare me or my family if I have committed any sinful act.”

Mr. Reddy, who served as the TTD Chairman twice and thrice as a member trustee, described the allegations as ‘baseless accusations against him and his party’.

“Never in my tenure, did I engage in deceptive practices,” he said, pointing to his long service to the temple. “The accusations are malicious and politically motivated, designed to tarnish the the image of YSRCP and incite public sentiment.”

“Though making political statements is strictly prohibited in this temple town, I had no choice but to defend myself in this manner,” he said, underscoring the “desperation that led him to this uncharacteristic move”.

The police personnel officials took him away from the spot when he did not heed to their request, not to indulge in any politically related activity.

Earlier in the day, the police served a notice on him under Section 41 upon his arrival at the GNC tollgate, warning him against engaging in any form of political activity in the temple town.

New Delhi:

In January, during the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, 300 kilograms of ‘prasad’ from the Tirupati temple was distributed to devotees, confirmed Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the temple. This revelation comes in the wake of a controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in ghee in the preparation of laddoos at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

“If animal fat was mixed in the ‘prasad’, it is unforgivable. Strict action should be taken against those responsible,” Mr Das said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

The TTD revealed that the lab report confirmed the presence of lard and other impurities in ghee used by a contractor. An official stated that the contractor responsible for supplying adulterated ghee had been blacklisted and legal proceedings were initiated.

The row began when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu first raised concerns about the quality of the ‘prasad’, alleging that animal fat was used during the tenure of the previous YSRCP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Mr Naidu accused the YSRCP regime of purchasing substandard ghee at cheaper rates, which compromised the sacredness of the Tirupati laddoos.

In response, former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy dismissed these allegations as “diversion politics” and a “concocted story” aimed at shifting focus from the current government’s failures.

The issue intensified after lab reports, commissioned by the TDP, backed Mr Naidu’s claims. According to these reports, the ghee samples tested showed traces of animal fats, including beef tallow, lard, and fish oil. The temple management confirmed that four separate tests revealed similar results, prompting immediate action to halt supplies from the blacklisted contractor.

Mr Naidu, in a public address, announced that new suppliers of pure cow ghee, including the Nandini brand from Karnataka, have been engaged to restore the sacredness of the laddoos. The former chief priest of the Tirupati temple, Ramana Deekshitulu, also expressed concerns over the issue, stating that he had previously raised the matter with the TTD management to no avail.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi have both called for investigations and have sought reports from the Andhra Pradesh government. The TTD has assured devotees that the purity of the laddoos has now been restored, and steps have been taken to ensure that only the highest quality ingredients are used going forward.

Bengaluru:

Amid controversy over the use of animal fat in ghee at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, the Karnataka government on Friday issued a directive mandating the use of Nandini brand ghee in all 34,000 temples that come under the state’s temple management body. 

The Karnataka government’s new directive requires that all temples under its jurisdiction use only Nandini ghee, produced by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), for temple rituals, including lighting lamps, preparing ‘prasada’, and in the ‘Dasoha Bhavans’ – places where devotees are served food. The official circular stressed that temple staff must ensure that the quality of ‘prasada’ is never compromised.

“In all the notified temples under the Religious Endowment Department of Karnataka State, it has been directed to use only Nandini Ghee for services, lamps, and preparation of all types of prasada and in Dasoha Bhavan. It has been suggested to maintain the quality in the prasada prepared in the temples,” the circular reads.

This directive comes in the wake of a larger controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in ghee in the preparation of laddoos at the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati, managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The controversy first erupted earlier this week when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu raised concerns over the quality of the ghee used at the temple, claiming that samples had tested positive for lard and other animal fats.

The Tirupati temple kitchen, which produces around 3 lakh laddoos daily, requires enormous quantities of ingredients, including 1,400 kg of ghee, along with other essentials like cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar. The bulk of the ghee in question was reportedly sourced from Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district.

The row quickly escalated as opposition leader Jagan Mohan Reddy found himself under fire. Accusations flew that during his tenure as Chief Minister, the ghee used to make Tirupati laddoos had been substandard, with claims of animal fat being used instead of traditional ghee. Mr Reddy vehemently denied these allegations, accusing the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of exploiting the issue for political gain.

The controversy reached the Supreme Court shortly after, with a petition being filed, claiming that the use of animal fats in temple food violated Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion and practice. The Health Ministry quickly demanded a detailed report on the issue, and Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi called for a thorough inquiry, insisting that “the culprit should be punished.”

As tensions mounted, temple authorities accused their ghee supplier of exploiting the temple’s lack of in-house food testing facilities. They argued that the absence of proper quality control had made the temple vulnerable to such scandals. Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd, which had supplied ghee to the temple in June and July, defended itself, claiming that its product had passed multiple lab tests and constituted a mere 0.01 per cent of the temple’s ghee supply.

The controversy spiralled further when a report from a Gujarat state-run lab surfaced, indicating that samples of the ghee used in the Tirupati temple tested positive for fish oil, beef tallow, and lard – a form of pig fat.

“Even Tirupati laddoo was made with substandard ingredients… they used animal fat instead of ghee,” said Chief Minister Naidu. 

He vowed that his administration had since raised the quality standards for all temple ingredients, and announced that the temple would undergo a thorough sanitisation process. His son, Andhra IT Minister Nara Lokesh, added fuel to the fire by saying that the row had been triggered by an anti-corruption probe into the procurement of ghee and vegetables used for temple food.

In response, the YSRCP, headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy, launched a counterattack, accusing the TDP of a political vendetta. Former TTD Chairperson YV Subba Reddy called the allegations “unimaginable,” and ex-Chairperson Karunakar Reddy claimed the scandal was part of a smear campaign.

Hyderabad:

The row over laddoos served to devotees at the famed hill-shrine at Tirupati has snowballed into a major political controversy. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party has claimed animal fat was used for making laddoos during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, a charge that the YSRCP leader has denied. The centre has sought a detailed report over the allegations while the Union food minister has demanded an inquiry.

Around 3 lakh laddoos are made daily in the temple kitchen at Tirupati, using about 1,400 kg ghee. Vast amounts of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar are also used.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swami temple in Tirupati, buys the ingredients through e-auction, spending about Rs 500 crore on the procurement. The tendering process had shifted to online in 2022 to reduce human intervention.

The ghee tankers come with certification by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), which ensures food testing has been done reliably. The consignment is stocked in godowns spread over two acres near Alipiri in Tirupati – for use in prasada as well as for its free food scheme.

The annual procurement includes over 6,100 tonne ghee, 14 tonnes sugar, 9,200 tonnes of Bengal gram, 4,680 tonnes sona masoori dal, and other ingredients that include raisins, cashews, cardamom and sunflower oil.

Only those agencies registered with the Andhra Pradesh Technological Services are allowed to take part in the e-auction. The contracts are awarded on the basis of various technical parameters and financial factors. AGMARK certification and FSSAI licences are a must for such agencies.

Online reverse tendering is also followed for orders above Rs 1 crore.

The consignment that has come under spotlight included 10 tankers of ghee from the Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Food Pvt Ltd. Four of their tankers were stopped over suspected adulteration. The samples were sent for testing and the consignment was kept aside.

AR Dairy has said its consignments have cleared multiple lab tests and that they have documents to prove all test reports had cleared the ghee which was sent to the temple. The dairy said it supplied just 0.01 per cent ghee to Tirumala.

Animal Fat In Laddoos?

The Naidu government this week flagged a July 17 report that said ghee samples from Tirupati contained fish oil, beef tallow, and lard, a form of pig fat. “Even Tirupati laddoo was made with substandard ingredients. They used animal fat instead of ghee,” the Chief Minister told a legislature meeting on Tuesday.

Mr Reddy, who lost the state elections this year, hit back at the “false report” and accused Mr Naidu of “using faith for politics”.

The TTD has also backed Mr Naidu’s claims. TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said that suppliers took advantage of the lack of an in-house testing facility and they are in the process of blacklisting the concerned contractor.

The laddoo row has also reached the Supreme Court with a petition being filed alleging violation of Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion, including the right to practice.

Hyderabad:

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has slammed rivals YSR Congress and his predecessor, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, over a lab report about animal fats in ghee used to make laddoos offered as prasadam, or devotional offerings, at the temple town of Tirupati.

A July 17 report from the Centre of Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food, or CALF, lab at the centre-run National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat, released Wednesday, said it found animal fat in ghee used to make the famous Tirupati laddoos when the YSRCP was in power.

The report indicated the ghee contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard; the last is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.

“Even Tirupati laddoo was made with substandard ingredients… they used animal fat instead of ghee,” the Chief Minister raged at a legislature party meeting in Amravati the day before.

He declared his government has ensured a higher quality of ingredients, including ghee, is being used now, and that that all food offerings at the iconic temple were now of improved quality.

Mr Naidu’s son and Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh also joined the attack.

The lord venkateswara swamy temple at Tirumala is our most sacred temple. I am shocked to learn that the @ysjagan administration used animal fat instead of ghee in the tirupati Prasadam. Shame on @ysjagan and the @ysrcparty government that couldn’t respect the religious… pic.twitter.com/UDFC2WsoLP

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) September 18, 2024

“The Lord Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala is our most sacred temple. I am shocked to learn that the Jagan Mohan Reddy administration used animal fat instead of ghee… shame on them… (their) government could not respect the religious sentiments of crores of devotees.”

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who is from the TDP, told NDTV “we always knew YSRCP was involved in corruption… but didn’t think they would do this with Tirupati”.

“The deity is sacred and special to all in the state… and now NDDB itself has confirmed presence of animal fat. This is beyond shocking and disgusting. The government will get to the bottom of this,” he said, vowing action against those responsible. “We know this is the beginning. More will come out.”

The YSRCP, however, has slammed the “malicious” claims and accused the TDP of lying for political gain. The party also said it was Mr Naidu, in fact, who had damaged the sanctity of the temple, and of the crores of devotees, by making such outrageous comments.

రాజకీయం లబ్ధికోసం ఎంతటి నీచానికైనా చంద్రబాబు వెనుకాడడని మరోమారు నిరూపితం అయ్యింది. భక్తుల విశ్వాసాన్ని బలపరిచేందుకు తిరుమల ప్రసాదం విషయంలో నేను, నా కుటుంబం ఆ దేవ దేవుని సాక్షిగా ప్రమాణానికి సిద్ధంగా ఉన్నాం. చంద్రబాబుకూడా తన కుటుంబంతో ప్రమాణానికి సిద్ధమా?2/2

— Y V Subba Reddy (@yvsubbareddymp) September 18, 2024

YSRCP’s YV Subba Reddy wrote in Telugu on X that “it has been proved once again that Chandrababu (Naidu) will not hesitate to do anything bad for the benefit of politics”. The YSRCP leader also declared himself ready “to take an oath as witnesses… in (this) case” and asked, “Is he also ready to take oath?”

The Congress, meanwhile, has also taken shots at the YSR Congress, with the former Chief Minister’s sister, now the boss of the Congress’ state unit, demanding a high-level CBI inquiry. The claim, she said in Telugu on X, is “damaging to the sanctity of the deity worshipped by millions of Hindus”.

“If there are no political angles to your allegations… if you have no intention of playing politics on this issue… form a high-level committee or call for a CBI inquiry. Find out who is responsible,” she said.

“The Congress demands you find out the truth,” she declared.

An estimated three lakh laddoos are made in Tirupati every day. To make these the temple trust buys massive quantities of ghee via e-tenders issued every six months.

Making a startling claim, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has said animal fat was used to make Tirupati laddoos under the previous government run by the YSR Congress. The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party has rubbished the allegation and termed it malicious. 

Addressing an NDA legislative party meeting on Wednesday, Mr Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party came to power in Andhra Pradesh in June in an alliance with the Jana Sena and the BJP, said animal fat was used to make the sought-after laddoos given as ‘prasad’ by the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati under the Jagan Reddy government. The temple is managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

“In the past 5 years, YSR Congress party leaders have tarnished the sanctity of Tirumala. They compromised on the quality of ‘Annadanam’ (free meals) and even contaminated the sacred Tirumala Laddu by using animal fat instead of ghee. This revelation has caused concern. However, we are now using pure ghee. We are striving to protect the sanctity of the TTD,” Mr Naidu said in Telugu. 

Senior YSR Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy accused Mr Naidu of damaging the sanctity of the Tirumala shrine.

“Chandrababu Naidu has severely damaged the sanctity of Tirumala and the faith of crores of Hindus. His comments about the Tirumala prasad are extremely malicious. No person would speak such words or make such accusations,” Mr Reddy wrote in Telugu on X.

“It has been proven again that Chandrababu Naidu will stoop to any level for political gain. To strengthen the faith of the devotees, I, along with my family, am ready to take an oath before the almighty regarding the Tirumala ‘prasad’. Is Chandrababu Naidu willing to do the same with his family,” he asked.