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The Supreme Court's recent remarks on the Tirupati laddu controversy have sparked a political firestorm in Andhra Pradesh, with the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) doubling down on their respective positions. The controversy revolves around allegations made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that adulterated ghee was used in the preparation of the famous Tirupati laddus during the previous YSRCP regime.
The Supreme Court, hearing a clutch of petitions related to the matter, questioned Naidu's decision to go public with his accusations before the completion of an investigation ordered by his own government. Justice K V Viswanathan pointed out that Naidu had publicly claimed the use of adulterated ghee in September 2018, despite receiving a report on the matter in July 2018. The judge questioned the rationale behind Naidu's public pronouncements before being certain about the findings of the investigation.
The TDP, in response to the Supreme Court's remarks, maintained its stance. TDP national spokesperson K Pattabhi Ram asserted that adulterated ghee was indeed used and welcomed the court's decision to ask the Centre to consider a central investigation. He claimed that a private dairy company had supplied ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and that laboratory reports confirmed the presence of adulterated ghee in some of the supplied batches.
The YSRCP, however, took a contrasting approach. Botsa Satyanarayana, a member of the Legislative Council and former minister in the YSRCP government, highlighted the Supreme Court's question about the use of adulterated ghee as crucial. He argued that the TDP's allegations have been baseless from the beginning and reiterated his demand for a third-party probe to establish the truth. Botsa pointed out that the YSRCP has been consistently challenging the TDP's accusations and seeking clarity on the alleged instances of adulterated ghee usage.
The Supreme Court's intervention in the matter has escalated the political tension in Andhra Pradesh. The court's criticism of the state government for prematurely going public with its allegations has further intensified the debate surrounding the laddu controversy. The court's remarks, particularly its call to keep God away from politics, have also raised significant concerns about the politicization of religious institutions.
The Supreme Court's decision to seek a response from the Centre on whether a central investigation is warranted has opened a new chapter in this saga. The outcome of the court's inquiry will likely have significant implications for both the TDP and the YSRCP, as it could potentially shed light on the veracity of the accusations and the underlying political motivations.
Source: Stung by Supreme Court’s laddu remarks, Naidu’s TDP doubles down: ‘Stand by what we said’