Subba Reddy moves SC for probe into Tirupati laddu row

Vijayawada: YSRCP MP and former chairman of TTD Y V Subba Reddy has moved the Supreme Court for the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired judge of the apex court to look into the allegations of animal fat in the ghee to make Tirupati laddus.

Senior lawyer and former additional advocate general under YSRCP rule Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy, who filed the petition on behalf of Subba Reddy, said that there is need to find the truth behind the allegations of adulteration. He stated that there is no hope of truth coming out from the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) announced by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

He said since Naidu had made the allegation that the ghee contained animal fat, the agency working under him is likely to say the same. The petitioner sought a probe by food technology experts under the supervision of a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

He said this is the issue related to the sentiments of millions of devotees of Tirumala temple.

Subba Reddy’s counsel said out of 10 tanks of ghee supplied by AR Foods to TTD, four tanks had ‘vanaspati’ and this was revealed by TTD executive officer. He pointed out that every tank comes to TTD with a certificate and TTD conducts three kinds of tests to check the quality of the product.

Only after the ghee passes these quality tests, it is used for making laddus. If the ghee tank fails the test, it is sent back. He disputed TTD executive officer Syamala Rao’s claim that the TTD has no lab to find adulteration.