YSRCP self goal in ‘Laddu Ladai’?

New Delhi: Is the YSRCP scoring a self goal in ‘Laddu Ladai’ that had seriously affected the sentiments of crores of devotees of Lord Venkateswara? While all the technical reports, including that of the FSSAI and NDDB, had proved that the ghee used in the preparation of laddus at Tirumala was adulterated, the YSRCP has started knocking on the doors of courts asking for a stay on the ongoing probe by the vigilance wing and the proposed SIT.

Following the latest findings of the FSSAI, the Union Health Ministry has taken a big step by sending a show-cause notice on Monday to the company supplying ghee. It had taken samples from four companies in this case, out of which the sample of AR Dairy from Tamil Nadu failed the quality test, and it was revealed that there was animal fat in it.

The Union government has issued the show-cause notice to the dairy and may even take a decision to cancel its licence.

On the other hand, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus. The BJP leader requested the court to direct the Andhra Pradesh government to file a detailed report on the source and sampling of the ghee used for making the laddus.

Meanwhile, former chairman of TTD Y V Subba Reddy filed a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking stay on the vigilance probe. A PIL was also filed in the Supreme Court by former Additional Advocate-General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy. He told the media that the argument of LARD (Pig tallow) in the ghee was ‘nonsensical’.

A priest performs the purification ritual 'Shanti Homam Panchagavya Prokshana' to undo the alleged desecrations that occurred at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple during YSRCP government, at Tirumala in Tirupati district

He said anyone with brains would not say so since the cost of pig oil was Rs 1,400 per kg while the ghee supplied costs Rs 320. He asked ‘can anyone mix gold with copper?’ The allegation of adulteration of ghee was akin to it, he said.

Another former chairman of TTD Bhumana Karunakar Reddy went to Tirumala and staged a high drama of swearing that he had done nothing wrong. He was taken into custody by the police.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has collected 13 samples of ‘prasadam’ from prominent temples in Mathura for testing as a precautionary measure to check adulteration.