Guntur IG Sarvashresth to head laddu SIT probe

Vijayawada: The state government which had announced that it would constitute a Special Investigation Team to probe into the sacrilege committed by the TTD by using ghee adulterated with animal fat on Tuesday appointed Guntur range IG Sarvashresth Tripathi as the SIT chief. He will be assisted by Visakha range DIG Gopinath Jetty and Kadapa SP Harshavardhan Raju.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that the government was taking necessary measures not only to restore the sanctity at Tirumala and ensure that all rituals as per Agama Sastra are performed but was moving forward to identify all those who indulged in the sacrilege and those found guilty would be punished.

The CM said the issue is not just about adulteration of laddus. “The YSRCP government has committed sacrilege by violating many other established traditions and those who were supposed to ensure that the rituals were strictly followed, including the chairmen of the TTD remained silent on it. This is unpardonable. If one does not have faith in the deity, he should not enter the temple but in this case the former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy violated all temple regulations," he said.

He said any devotee belonging to another religion has to sign a declaration that he has faith in the Lord. But Jagan never did that. It is the responsibility of the temple management to ensure that the traditions were strictly followed. But in this case the then chairman never bothered to implement this rule.

Naidu said the government was doing all it could to not only punish those who indulged in sacrilege but also restore all systems that were destroyed during the previous regime and God would also do what he should to punish such people.