Senior BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has approached the Supreme Court regarding the Tirupati Temple laddu issue.
Swamy has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), seeking the constitution of an independent committee under the supervision of the apex court to investigate the allegations of the use of animal fat in making the laddus served at the Tirupati temple.
Subramanian Swamy took to X on Monday and said, "Today I filed a PIL seeking Supreme Court direction to investigate the unsubstantiated allegations by CM Chandrababu Naidu that the Tirupati Tirumala Temple prasad was adulterated with animal meat and other rotten items, creating chaos among the devotees."
Meanwhile, a four-hour purification ritual called Shanti Homam Panchagavya Prokshana is being conducted at the Tirumala temple on Monday. According to temple officials, this ritual aims to cleanse and undo any alleged desecration that occurred during the tenure of the YSRCP government.
What Is the Controversy?
The controversy began after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu recently claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were found in the laddus served at the temple during the previous government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy. Naidu cited a private lab report from Gujarat, which allegedly detected traces of beef tallow, lard (pig fat), and fish oil in the ghee used for the prasadam.
However, former chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy strongly denied the allegations, asserting that no such violations occurred under his administration. He accused Naidu of using religion for political purposes, calling him a habitual liar. Reddy further criticised Naidu for engaging in "politics in the name of God," dismissing the claims as politically motivated.
On Sunday, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao reiterated that the ongoing rituals aim to remove any negative influences and restore the spiritual purity of the laddu prasad, ensuring the well-being of the temple’s devotees.
