[Tirupati Laddu Controversy] Supreme Court criticizes Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu for making public comments while matter was still under investigation

“Four writ petitions have been filed seeking various prayers, inter alia, including an independent enquiry and directions for establishing regulatory frameworks with respect to the religious trust and specifically the preparation of the prasadam”

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Tirupati Laddu Controversy

Supreme Court: In batch of petitions seeking court-monitored investigation into the controversy relating to Tirupati laddus, the bench of BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, JJ. criticised the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh-N Chandrababu Naidu for making public allegations about the use of adulterated ghee for the preparation of laddus offered as prasadam at the Tirumala Tirupati Temple.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister accused the previous government led by YSRCP’s Jagan Mohan Reddy of compromising the religious “purity” of India’s richest temple by permitting the use of adulterated ghee containing animal fat. CM Naidu referenced a laboratory report from Gujarat, which asserted that the ghee contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard.

The Court said that the petition pertains to sentiments affecting crores of people living in the entire world. The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh had gone in public making a statement that animal fat was being used to make the laddus under the previous regime. However, some press reports also show that the Chief Executive Officer of the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam had also made a statement that such an adulterated ghee was never used.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (‘TTD’) submitted that the ghee which was supplied in the tankers in June, 2024 upto 04-07-2024, was not sent for analysis pertaining to adulteration. It was submitted that it is only the ghee received in the two tankers supplied on 06-07-2024 and in the two tankers supplied on 12-07-2024 which were supplied by the same supplier, that were sent to the National Dairy Development Board’s Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (‘NDDBCALF’). In all four samples, the ghee was found to be adulterated.

The Court noted that a Special Investigation Team (‘SIT’) came to be appointed on 26-9-2024 to investigate the FIR dated 25-09-2024. Further, a statement was made by the Chief Minister on 18-09-2024, which was even prior to the FIR being lodged on 25-09-2024 and the SIT being constituted on 26-09-2024.

The Court viewed that it was not appropriate on the part of a high constitutional functionary to go in public to make a statement which can affect the sentiment of crores of people and when investigation to find out adulterated ghee was used to make laddus was underway.

The Court asked Solicitor General of India- Tushar Mehta to seek instructions from the Central Government on whether the SIT by the State should continue or a central investigation is required and posted the matter to 03-10-2024.

CASE DETAILS

Citation:
Writ Petition(s)(Civil) No(s). 622/2024

Appellants :
Dr. Subramanian Swamy

Respondents :
State of Andhra Pradesh

Advocates who appeared in this case

For Petitioner(s):
Mr. Rajshekher Rao, Sr. Adv., Mr. Ajay Agarwal, Adv., Ms. Sonali Jain, AOR, Ms. Sonia Mathur, Sr. Adv, Mr. Satyam Singh, Adv., Mr. Rajiv Ranjan, Adv., Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, Adv., Ms. Mudabbera Zaheen, Adv., Mr. Shivam Singh, Adv., Mr. Rishikesh Kumar, Adv., Ms. Dipanshu Krushna, Adv., Ms. Ronika Taker, Adv., Ms. Vipasha Jain, Adv., Mr. Alok Kumar, Adv., Mr. Gunjan Kumar, Adv., Mr. Nikhil Beniwal, AOR, Mr. Mukesh Sharma, Adv., Mr. Ragav Awasthi, Adv., Mr. Dinesh Sharma, Adv., Mr. Mohit Nagar, Adv., Mr. Gurrick Jassar, Adv., Mr. Deepak Singh, Adv., Mr. Anurag Pandey, Adv., Mr. Akash, Adv., Mr. Mukesh Kumar, Adv., Mr. Ashish Pandey, AOR, Mr. Sarjan Shankar Kulshreshta, Adv., Petitioner-in-person, Ms. Baani Khanna, AOR, Mr. Robin Singh, Adv., Ms. Palak Bishnoi, Adv., Mr. Rohit Kumar, Adv., Mr. Govinda Choudhary, Adv.

For Respondent(s):
Mr. Mukul Rohatgi, Sr. Adv.., Mr. Sidharth Luthra, Sr. Adv., Mr. Siddharth Agarwal, Sr. Adv., Mr. D. Srinivas, A.G., Mr. Guntur Pramod Kumar AOR, Mr. Dhruv Yadav, Adv., Ms. Prerna Singh, Adv., Mr. Samarth Luthra, Adv., Mr. Keshav Singh, Adv., Mr. Anmol Kheta, Adv., Ms. Rajni Gupta, Adv.

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