Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The controversy surrounding the alleged use of animal fat in the famous Tirupati laddoos has reached the Supreme Court, with a petition filed on Friday. The petitioner, lawyer Satyam Singh, claims that the act violates fundamental Hindu religious customs and deeply offends the sentiments of millions of devotees who consider the ‘prasad’ a sacred blessing.
The petition alleges that animal fat, including beef tallow, fish oil, and lard, was used in the making of the laddoos under the previous YSR Congress government, based on a report by a Gujarat laboratory. These claims were first raised by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu earlier in the week.
Satyam Singh’s letter, addressed to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, asserts that the alleged use of animal fat violates Article 25 of the Constitution, which protects the freedom of religion and the right to practice religious customs. The lawyer highlights several Supreme Court judgments that emphasize the importance of protecting essential religious practices and calls for better management of temples.
The petition further claims that the incident reflects larger systemic issues within temple administration and calls for culturally sensitive management of religious institutions like the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which oversees the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda has requested a detailed report on the allegations from Chandrababu Naidu. Senior BJP leader Bandi Sanjay referred to the use of animal fat in the laddoos as an “unforgivable sin,” hinting that the issue arose because individuals from other religions had been appointed to the TTD board.
Meanwhile, the YSR Congress Party, led by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, has dismissed the allegations. Reddy labeled the claims as false and accused the TDP of using the controversy as a diversionary tactic. YSR Congress leader and former TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy also condemned Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of damaging the sanctity of the Tirumala shrine and Hindu faith for political gain.
Reddy further challenged Naidu to take an oath with his family, reaffirming the sanctity of the ‘prasad’, and expressed his willingness to do the same with his family to prove the innocence of the temple’s practices.
