Images of a laddu (in the corner pic) and the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati.
Credit: iStock Photos
New Delhi: Following an outrage over the alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus, former Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board Y V Subba Reddy has approached the Supreme Court seeking independent investigation by a court-monitored committee, or by a retired judge of the apex court, along with domain experts, into the allegations of adulteration.
The plea, by ex-chairman of the Board of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and a member of Rajya Sabha, sought an interim relief in the form of a detailed forensic report on the source and quality of the ghee and a temporary gag order on publicising the issue to protect devotees' sentiments.
The Andhra Pradesh government has recently circulated a laboratory report to back its claim.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has also filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus.
He sought a direction to the Andhra Pradesh government to file a detailed report on the source and sampling of the ghee used for making the laddus, and also sought an interim direction to obtain a detailed forensic report from the authorities concerned.
The plea contended that 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 prasadam.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has claimed that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus during the previous YS Jaganmohan Reddy-led government, triggering a massive row.
The YSR Congress Party has accused Naidu of indulging in "heinous allegations" for political gain.