New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (November 29) refused to examine a petition seeking a pan-India regulations to ensure that safe quality of “prasad” is distributed at religious places, saying the prayers in the petition were within the domain of the state.
A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan said that there are provisions under the Food Safety and Standards Act and the petitioner could pursue remedies available under the said law to address the concerns raised in the petition.
“There are provisions under the Act (Food Safety and Standards Act). You invoke them to take action,” the bench said while refusing to entertain the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
‘Prasad’ distributed at religious places going unchecked: Petitioner
Senior advocate Dama S Naidu, representing petitioner Preeti Hariharan Mahapatra, while referring to news reports on people falling ill after consuming “prasadam” at various temples and stressing that the petition was not a motivated PIL, submitted that “Prasad” distributed at religious places is going unchecked and there has to be some pan-India regulations.
There has to be some guidelines to govern quality of ‘prasad’: Petitioner
Naidu, while submitting that it is not that temples are at fault but there has to be some guidelines to govern the quality of “prasad” being distributed to the devotees, further submitted that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had powers, however, its guidelines lacked teeth and the petition was only seeking it to be regulated.
The bench, while hearing the submissions, told petitioner’s counsel that Prime Minister on November 26 said that the executive was discharging its function within its limits.
“We are not inclined to entertain the present petition in as much as the prayers made in the petition are within the domain of policy of the state,” the bench said and added that the petitioner may make an application to the appropriate authority, if the petitioner desires, which would be considered in accordance with law.
What did the petitioner seek?
The petitioner, who was also assisted by advocate Mrityunjay Singh, sought a direction to take appropriate steps to check and maintain the purity of prasad/prasadam at temples and religious places, to ensure that prasadam or Bhog offerings are tested before being offered at temples and religious places of worship in all states and to ensure strict regime for prasad, langar, etc. in temples, gurudwaras, shrines, community kitchens or any religious gatherings having religion specific guidelines in preparation of food and proprietary items.
Apex Court earlier ordered independent probe into Tirupau Laddoo Prasadam row
The apex court earlier on October 4, while hearing a bunch of pleas on the Tirupatu Laddoo Prasadam row, had said that it does not want the issue to turn into political drama and had ordered independent probe into the issue. The top court had constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations of use of animal fat in preparation of ‘Laddoo Prasadam’ at Tirupati.
