In clear terms, the Supreme Court stated that it will “not allow the court to be used as a political battleground” on Tirupati laddu row and ordered that a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) will conduct a probe into it. Moreover, it advised It advised all political parties not to politicize this.
However, the attitude of former chief minister and YCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy and his party leaders comments makes it clear they are clearly violating the directive of the Apex Court.
Even before the OBI-monitored probe is yet to be started, Jaganmohan Reddy himself attributed that the highest court has confirmed there was no adulteration in the ghee used in the preparation of laddus.
The Supreme Court, in the last hearing and Friday’s hearing, had advised not to politicize the Laddu dispute. But the YCP leaders are commenting that the alliance government has suffered a setback with the Supreme verdict and Chandrababu has suffered a setback.
The Supreme Court did not clarify that there was no adulteration in the ghee used in the preparation of laddoos. An independent investigation team has been set up to find out whether tampering has taken place.
YCP leaders are alleging that the Supreme decision is a big shock to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and TDP. Chandrababu Naidu welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict.
He said in a post on X, “I welcome the Honourable Supreme Court’s order of setting up SIT, comprising officers from CBI, AP Police and FSSAI to investigate the issue of adulteration of Tirupati laddu. Satyamev Jayate. Om Namo Venkatesaya.”
AR Dairy is one of the suppliers of ghee used in making Tirupati Laddu. There have been incidents in the past of ghee tankers sent to Tirumala by this company being sent back due to adulteration. Former TTD chairman YV Subbareddy, besides Jaganmohan Reddy have already admitted the company’s track record of fraud.
Even in July this year, the ghee sent by AR Dairy was not pure and the TTD officials sent back the ghee. As this company often sends tankers of adulterated ghee, many Hindu groups along with the leaders of TDP, Jana Sena and BJP suspected that the ghee distributed by this company was used in laddoos.
NDDB reported that animal waste was mixed in the ghee distributed by AR Dairy. Due to this, the ghee used in the preparation of laddus has been adulterated and the demand for an investigation has been heard strongly from the Hindu communities.
There are allegations that the YCP leaders have overreacted on this controversy as if they were shrugging off who is the thief of the pumpkins. This has given it a political color.
