The Supreme Court will hear requests for an independent investigation into the adulteration allegations on September 30

The Supreme Court will hear a batch of petitions on September 30 seeking a court-monitored probe into allegations made by the TDP-led Andhra Pradesh government regarding the use of adulterated ghee to prepare laddus at the Tirumala Tirupati temple during the previous YSRCP regime.

The matter was heard in court Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan.

To cut a long story short, the controversy stems from a laboratory report released by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that ghee samples supplied to the Tirupati temple for preparation of laddus during the tenure of the previous YSRCP government, Ghee contained foreign fats (including beef fat and fish oil).

So far, about five petitions appear to have been filed calling for relief, including a court-supervised investigation into the allegations and greater accountability at Hindu temples run by government agencies.

(I) Petition by Suresh Khanderao Chavhanke

One of the petitions was filed by Suresh Khanderao Chavhanke, editor of Sudarshan News TV, seeking an inquiry into the matter by a committee headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a retired chief justice of the Supreme Court. He argues that the use of non-vegetarian ingredients in prasadam violates the fundamental rights of believers under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of religion and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs in religious matters.

Through his petition, Chavhanke has also sought the appointment of a retired Supreme Court judge or a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to oversee the management of temples and shrines to ensure transparency and adherence to religious customs.

(II) Petition by Surjit Singh Yadav

A second petition has been filed by Hindu Sena president Surjit Singh Yadav seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged use of adulterated ghee in laddus.

Yadav claims that the alleged use of animal fat in the preparation of the laddus resulted in hurting the sentiments of Tirupati Balaji’s Hindu followers.

(III) Petition from Dr. Subramanian Swamy

The third petition was filed by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and seeks an inquiry by a court-monitored committee. Swamy not only prayed for setting up of a committee but also sought direction for a detailed report from the authorities on the forensics of the ghee sample used by the concerned laboratory (including its source).

According to Swamy, the issue should have been addressed under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). However, it was politicized and made into propaganda which caused great harm to many devotees of Lord Venkateshwara.

Further, Swamy is of the view that if the quality of supplies offered for preparation of prasadam/laddus falls below the prescribed standard, the material will be returned to the supplier on the condition that it conforms to the prescribed standards.

Appropriately, Swamy included in his petition certain questions for the proposed committee to address:

– Was the sampling carried out/procured by the laboratory testing center?

– Was the ghee sample taken from the ghee used in the offerings or from the rejected sample batch?

– Which supplier was involved in procuring the said adulterated ghee?

– Is there scope for a false positive result in the said report?

– When or if the said ghee was procured or rejected as per internal tests conducted by respondent No. 3 (TTD)?

– Should political intervention be allowed in the publication of such reports and not be the TTD?

(IV) Petition by YV Subba Reddy

The fourth petition is by Rajya Sabha MP and former TTD leader YV Subba Reddy, demanding an independent probe into the adulteration allegations by a court-monitored committee or by a retired judge of the court along with subject matter experts.

Further, Reddy seeks a direction to the respondent authorities to prepare a report on “the detailed forensic data of the laboratory report and the source of ghee used as sampling and source of pre-treatment in this report with all additional details”.

The former TTD chairman says that as per the standard operating procedure in Tirumala, the moment a vehicle loaded with cow ghee arrives at the temple complex/premises, the officer-in-charge takes a sample from the said tank/vehicle and conducts a baseline test. If the test reports agree with the specification in the tender document, only the said cow ghee will be used for the preparation of prasadams including laddu prasadams, otherwise the said vehicle will be returned without any relaxation.

“Therefore, it is false to state or claim that such ghee is USED for preparing prasadam for Lord Venkateswara,” the plea said.

The petition implicates Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu saying that his comments on the use of animal fat in Tirumala Laddu Prasadam have disturbed the sentiments of a large number of devotees of Lord Venkateswara.

It is also alleged that there is a discrepancy in the statements of the TTD and the Andhra CM and when the lab reports in question were obtained in July 2024, the state government remained silent for more than two months.

(V) Petition from Dr. Vikram Sampath and Dushyanth Sridhar

The fifth petition is by historian Dr. Vikram Sampath and spiritual speaker Dushyanth Sridhar “to take away government/bureaucracy’s influence over temples”. The duo aims to introduce accountability in Hindu temples managed by government agencies.

The petitions filed by Subramanian Swamy, YV Subba Reddy and Vikram Sampath are listed on Monday.