Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressed his approval of the Supreme Court’s decision to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged adulteration of Tirupati’s prasadam. In a post on X, Naidu stated, “I welcome the Honourable Supreme Court’s order of setting up SIT, comprising officers from CBI, AP Police, and FSSAI to investigate the issue of adulteration of Tirupati laddu. Satyamev Jayate. Om Namo Venkatesaya.”
Opposition Criticism
The opposition party, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), viewed the Supreme Court’s decision as a setback for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Chief Minister Naidu. In a post on X, YSRCP criticized Naidu and coalition leaders, stating, “Don’t make political comments on Laddu.. Don’t become a drama. Chandrababu and the leaders of the coalition government were strongly criticized by the Supreme Court. A five-member SIT was formed under the supervision of the CBI director for a comprehensive investigation.”
Supreme Court’s Directive
On Friday, the Supreme Court constituted an independent SIT to investigate allegations regarding the use of animal fat in the preparation of laddus served as prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan emphasized the significance of the prasadam to millions of devotees worldwide, stating, “We don’t want this to turn into political drama. If there is an independent body, there will be confidence.”
The apex court’s order specified that the SIT will consist of two officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), two from the Andhra Pradesh state police, and a senior official from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The CBI director will supervise the SIT and will replace the SIT previously established by the state government. The court clarified that its directive should not be interpreted as a reflection on the credibility of the members of the earlier SIT.
During earlier hearings, the Supreme Court questioned Chief Minister Naidu regarding his public allegations about using adulterated ghee in preparing laddus for prasadam. The court raised concerns about the necessity of making public statements when a state probe had already been initiated into the allegations.
