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Andhra Latest News: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for going public with allegations that animal fat-laced adulterated ghee was used to prepare the famous laddus at Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati without conclusive proof.
“So what was the need to go to the press at all, when you ordered an investigation, remarked the top court, going on to say “At least, the Gods should be kept away from politics”.
The top court noted that persons holding constitutional office are expected to keep religion separate from politics and said Chief Minister Naidu had been speaking about it even before a case was filed or a special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted. The court said that the Chief Minister claimed on September 18, even though the FIR was lodged on September 25 and a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted on September 26.
“Whether such a statement should have been made that affects the sentiments of the devotees? We are of the prima facie view that when the investigation was ordered, it was not appropriate for a high constitutional functionary to go public with the information,” said a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan while hearing a batch of petitions about the alleged adulteration of Tirupati temple laddus.
“You issued an SIT. To date, there is no necessity to reach the press. You appear for this type of thing. This is the second time,” said the court to Mukul Rohatgi, advocate general for Andhra Pradesh.
Rohatigi told that these “are not bonafide petitions. Try to attack the present government by the earlier one. TTD issued show cause notice to their man what type of supplies.”
The Supreme Court also sought to know what was the evidence to establish that the adulterated product which was used in the making of laddus at the Lord Venkateswara Temple. On this, advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the Tirupati Temple, said, “We are probing”.
Justice Gavai then asked, “Then what was the compulsion to run to the press immediately? You must show respect for religious sentiments”.
It also observed that no report indicated the impure ghee was used for making the laddus. When Luthra presented the court with the claim that people had complained to him that the laddoo did not taste proper, the court asked, “The laddu, which tasted different was that sent to the lab to find out if it contained contaminated material?”
Justice Viswanathan asked, “Does prudence not call for getting a second opinion? In normal situations, one would get a second opinion. No evidence of the alleged ghee having been used is before us”.
The top court asked Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta to seek instructions from the Centre whether an investigation by a central agency is necessary and posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday.
The court was hearing three petitions filed by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, Rajya Sabha MP and former TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy, and the third one by historian Vikram Sampath and spiritual discourse speaker Dushyanth Sridhar. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged earlier this month that animal fat was used in a major political row, the Vasireddy Venkatadri Indra sarobra this week reminded that at the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government time she and other employees were used in preparation of Tirupati laddoos. To this, YSR Congress Party accused Naidu for framing “heinous allegations” for political advantage.
