Tirupati Laddu Controversy: Supreme Court Serious Comments on Chandrababu Naidu

The Supreme Court has taken a serious view of the comments made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu regarding the Tirumala Laddu prasadam. The court sharply questioned whether there was any evidence to support the claim that adulterated ghee was used in the preparation of the laddus. A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan conducted the hearing on the petitions related to this matter.

Supreme Court Serious About Chandrababu's Allegations

The court directly questioned, "Do you have any evidence from the lab about adulterated ghee? The EO [Executive Officer] said that the ghee was rejected, and this is in the public domain. Why are you dragging God into politics? There was no need to go to the media. When holding a constitutional position, you must act responsibly. Why was the report from July only revealed in September? Why was an SIT formed, and does this warrant an investigation?" the court asked in a barrage of questions.

The court expressed its anger at Chandrababu Naidu, stating, "This issue concerns the sentiments of millions of devotees. Your comments have hurt them. Once ghee is rejected, there should be no question of it being used, right?"

More Questions from the Bench

The court asked several pointed questions:

"Is there any evidence of ghee adulteration?

Why weren't samples taken from other suppliers?

Why rely only on the NDDB report?

Why was a second opinion not sought?

Were the laddus in question tested for adulteration?

Why weren’t the laddus tested earlier if there were suspicions of adulteration?

If no adulteration occurred, why was a public announcement made?"

Government lawyer Sidharth Luthra struggled to answer these questions. The government informed the court that four tanks of ghee were not used. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court adjourned the case until Thursday, October 3.

Arguments from Subramanian Swamy’s Counsel

Earlier in the day, the hearing was delayed until 1 PM as senior advocate Kapil Sibal was unavailable. Subramanian Swamy’s counsel argued that the statements made by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and the TTD EO were contradictory and requested an investigation under Supreme Court supervision.

The lawyer representing Subramanian Swamy stated, "There are specific procedures for testing the ghee used in the laddu prasadam. The EO has himself confirmed that no 100% adulterated ghee was used. Irresponsible statements can have serious consequences. This is a political conspiracy to malign the laddu prasadam. Temple affairs are entirely managed by the EO and the board, and the current government appointed this EO."

Supreme Court Committee Requested

Several petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and MP Y.V. Subba Reddy, have filed petitions seeking the formation of a committee under the Supreme Court's supervision to uncover the truth behind Chandrababu's allegations that animal fat was mixed in the preparation of the Tirumala Laddu. MP Y.V. Subba Reddy has requested an independent investigation led by a retired Supreme Court judge.

They also requested a forensic audit of the NDDB lab report. Subramanian Swamy is expected to personally argue the case. The petitioners brought to the court’s attention the EO’s statement that rejected ghee was not used in the preparation of the prasadam. They questioned why the laddu's sanctity was being challenged when no rejected ghee was used and raised concerns over possible political motives behind the lab report.

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