Supreme Court orders SIT probe into Tirupati laddoo row

The SIT will comprise two Central Bureau of Investigation officers, an equal number of state police officials and a senior officer representing the central food regulator FSSAI.

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said it doesn't want a political drama over the issue which is a matter of faith for millions of people.

The controversy which was triggered after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu slammed his predecessor and YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy over a lab report showing animal fats in ghee used to make laddoos offered as prasad, or devotional offerings, at the temple town of Tirupati.

According to a July 17 report from the Centre of Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) lab at the center-run National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat, released Wednesday, it was found that animal fat was used in ghee, which is one of the ingredients, to make the famous Tirupati laddoos when the YSRCP was in power.

The report stated that the ghee contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard, the latter of which is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.

The Supreme Court on Monday lashed out at the Andhra Pradesh government for issuing public statements over the alleged finding of animal fat in ghee meant for preparing laddoos at Tirupati temple.

The same top court bench had rapped Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for making public utterances even after ordering a probe into the findings of a Gujarat laboratory report that alleged animal fat was used to make laddoos which are offered as devotion to the deities.

The top court had said as quoted by NDTV, "When you (the Chief Minister) hold a Constitutional post... we expect Gods to be kept away from politics. If you had already ordered (an) investigation, what was the need to go to the press? The lab report came in July... your statement came in September. (And) the report is not at all clear..."

It added, "You ordered an SIT (special investigation team). Till the outcome (of the inquiry) what was the need to go to the press? You have been always appearing for such... this is the second time," Justice Gavai rapped the Andhra Pradesh government. His colleague asked sharply, "Unless you were sure (about the adulteration), how did you go to public? What (then) was the purpose of investigation?"