SC defers hearing on Tirupati laddu row to Friday

The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred to October 4 the hearing on petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into alleged use of ghee adulterated with animal fat in preparing laddus offered as prasadam at the famous Tirumala Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh.

"If your lordships permit, can I respond at 10.30 am sharp tomorrow (Friday)," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan which agreed to his request.

On September 30, the top court had sought Mehta’s assistance to decide if an SIT set up by the Andhra Pradesh Government should continue to work or the probe should be assigned to an independent agency.

Mehta would now seek instructions from the Centre and inform the Bench on Friday.

On the last date of hearing, the top court had rapped Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for going public with allegations about use of adulterated ghee for preparing laddus at the Tirumala Tirupati temple, saying it was inappropriate for him to make such a statement without waiting for outcome of a probe ordered by the state.

"At least, we expect the Gods to be kept away from politics," the Bench had said, as it sought to know if there was a need to make a public statement when a probe into the matter had already been ordered and the report was awaited.

“We are prima facie of the view that when the investigation was under process, it was not appropriate for the high constitutional authority (Naidu) to make a statement which can affect the sentiments of crores of people,” the Bench said.

While hearing petitions seeking an independent probe into the alleged use of animal fact for preparing prasadam at the Tirupati temple, the top court sought to know what proof was there to indicate that contaminated ghee was used in making laddus.

The petitioners included senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy; YV Subba Reddy – a Rajya Sabha MP and former Chairman of Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam which manages Tirupati Temple; historian Vikram Sampath and spiritual leader Dushyanth Sridhar; and Sudarshan News Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke.

Mehta had submitted that it was a matter of faith and if contaminated ghee was used in preparing laddus at the Tirupati temple, it was unacceptable.

Naidu had alleged that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh, triggering a massive political row even as YSR Congress Party accused Naidu of indulging in "heinous allegations" for political gains.