New Delhi: The controversy surrounding animal fat allegedly being used to make the revered laddu prasad at the Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh today reached the Supreme Court with a lawyer filing a petition claiming that fundamental Hindu religious customs and values have been violated and also hurt the sentiments of devotees who consider prasad as a blessing of Lord Balaji.
The petitioner claims that the alleged presence of animal fat in the laddoos reflects deeper systemic issues within temple administration and has called for safeguarding the sanctity of Hindu religious practices.
What is the Tirupati Temple Laddu controversy?
The controversy was sparked when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday, alleged that animal fat had been used in the preparation of the revered laddoos distributed as ‘prasad’ at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati during the previous YSR Congress government’s tenure.
The Andhra Pradesh government backed this claim by releasing a report from a Gujarat laboratory, which detected traces of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat) in the ghee used for the laddoos.
In a letter petition addressed to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, lawyer Satyam Singh expressed that the allegations regarding the prasad at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)-managed temple have deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees.
He argued that the alleged use of animal fat in the laddus violates Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion, including the right to practice religious customs.
The petition references multiple Supreme Court judgments underscoring the importance of protecting essential religious practices. It claims that the Tirupati incident reflects broader systemic issues in temple administration and calls for culturally sensitive and dedicated management of temples.
The petitioner has also urged for the protection of Hindu religious practices and proper management of sacred institutions, requesting the Supreme Court to intervene in the matter.
Earlier on Friday, Union Health Minister JP Nadda requested a “detailed report” from Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu regarding the allegations.
The BJP, an ally of Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena, condemned the alleged use of animal fat, calling it an unforgivable sin. Senior BJP leader Bandi Sanjay suggested that the incident may have occurred because “a few individuals from other religions had been inducted” into the TTD board.
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