The controversy over the alleged use of animal fat in the famous Tirupati laddoos has reached the Supreme Court. A lawyer has filed a petition claiming that this practice violates fundamental Hindu religious customs and deeply upsets the feelings of countless devotees who consider the 'prasad' a sacred blessing. The petitioner has stated that the alleged presence of animal fat in the laddoos is a symptom of larger systemic issues in temple administration, and has called for the sanctity of Hindu religious practices to be protected.
The controversy began after the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that animal fat was used to make the sought-after laddoos given as 'prasad' by the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati under the previous YSR Congress government. The Andhra Pradesh government then cited a report by a Gujarat laboratory which stated that the ghee used in the laddoos contained traces of beef tallow, fish oil, and lard (pig fat).
The petition claims that the use of animal fat in the Tirupati laddoos violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion and religious practices. It cites several Supreme Court judgments that emphasize the importance of protecting essential religious practices. The petition argues that the Tirupati incident reflects larger systemic issues in temple administration and calls for dedicated and culturally sensitive management of temples. The lawyer who sent the letter has also sought the protection of Hindu religious practices and proper management of sacred institutions, and has requested the Supreme Court's intervention. The Union Health Minister has asked the Andhra Pradesh government for a detailed report on the allegations. The BJP, an ally of the state government, has called the alleged use of animal fat an unforgivable sin, suggesting that it may have happened due to the induction of "people from other religions" into the Tirupati temple board. However, the opposition YSR Congress and former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy have refuted the allegations.
The claims made were untrue and a distracting strategy employed by the TDP. A prominent YSR Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, YV Subba Reddy, who previously served as the TTD chairman for four years, alleged that Mr Naidu had compromised the sacredness of the Tirumala temple. Chandrababu Naidu has gravely harmed the holiness of Tirumala and the faith of millions of Hindus. His remarks about the Tirumala offering are extremely malicious. No one would utter such words or make such accusations, Mr Reddy stated. It has been shown again that Chandrababu Naidu will go to any length for political benefit. To reinforce the devotees' faith, I, along with my family, am prepared to take an oath before the divine regarding the Tirumala offering. Is Chandrababu Naidu willing to do the same with his family, he inquired.
