Today, On 20th September, A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court, alleging that the Tirupati Balaji Prasad contains animal fat and fish oil, which violates Hindu religious customs and sentiments. The petition argues that the use of such ingredients offends millions of devotees who consider the Prasad sacred. It calls for a thorough investigation into the ingredients used in the Prasad and demands corrective measures to uphold religious sanctity.
New Delhi: The controversy over the alleged use of animal fat in the making of the renowned Tirupati laddoos reached the Supreme Court on Friday. A lawyer filed a petition claiming that this practice violates fundamental Hindu religious customs and deeply offends the sentiments of millions of devotees who regard the laddoos as sacred ‘prasad.’
The petitioner argued that the alleged inclusion of animal fat reflects broader issues within temple administration and stressed the need to protect the sanctity of Hindu religious practices. The row triggered after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged that under the previous YSR Congress government, animal fat had been used in the preparation of the laddoos offered at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati.
The Andhra Pradesh government backed these claims by referencing a Gujarat laboratory report, which revealed traces of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat) in the ghee used for the laddoos.
In a letter petition to Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, lawyer Satyam Singh contended that these allegations violate Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, including the right to practice religious customs. He emphasized that this incident is indicative of broader administrative issues and called for the proper, culturally sensitive management of temples.
The petition referenced several past Supreme Court judgments that highlighted the protection of essential religious practices.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda has since requested a detailed report from Mr. Naidu on the matter. Meanwhile, the BJP, an ally of Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), expressed strong condemnation, with senior leader Bandi Sanjay suggesting that the involvement of individuals from other religions in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board may have led to the alleged incident.
The YSR Congress and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy strongly denied the allegations regarding animal fat in the Tirupati laddoos. In his first statement on the controversy, Mr. Reddy dismissed the claims as “false and a diversionary tactic” by the TDP.
Senior YSR Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Y.V. Subba Reddy, who served as the TTD chairman for four years, accused Chandrababu Naidu of tarnishing the sanctity of the Tirumala shrine.
He Said,
“Chandrababu Naidu has severely damaged the sanctity of Tirumala and the faith of crores of Hindus. His comments about the Tirumala prasad are extremely malicious, No person would speak such words or make such accusations.”
He further challenged Naidu, stating,
“It has been proven again that Chandrababu Naidu will stoop to any level for political gain. To strengthen the faith of the devotees, I, along with my family, am ready to take an oath before the almighty regarding the Tirumala ‘prasad’. Is Chandrababu Naidu willing to do the same with his family?”