The Supreme Court said on Monday the lab reports prima facie indicate that the samples of ghee tested belonged to the cooking medium which was not used in the preparation of the laddus at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh.During the hearing of the matter, the Supreme Court asked the Andhra Pradesh government to keep Gods away from politics.
“At least the Gods should be kept away from politics,” the court said. The apex court asked was the ghee which was not found in conformity, used for prasadam? The state government replied that it is investigating the issue.
The Supreme Court on Monday heard a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation into the allegations of using animal fat to make laddus served as Prasadam at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala.
The bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan also sought to know why Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu went public with the matter without waiting for the report of the investigation ordered by his government.
The Supreme Court said it will hear the Tirupati Devasthanam temple Prasad case on Thursday. While hearing the petitions, the Supreme Court said when the investigation is going on, people holding constitutional posts should not make such comments which hurt the religious sentiments of the people.
The court asked the Centre to respond if the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Andhra Pradesh Government should continue to probe the allegations. Fixing the matter for hearing again on October 3, the court asked the state to lay its hands off till then.
“You get the report in July. September 18, you go public. You say you ordered an investigation. It is very clear from the report that this is not the ghee which had been used. Unless you are sure, how did you go public with that?” asked Justice Viswanathan.
“You ordered an investigation through SIT. Till the outcome of such an investigation, what was the necessity to go to the press?… We expect Gods to be kept away from politics,” said Justice Gavai.
The court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist it in deciding whether the SIT which is appointed by the state should continue or whether it should be handed over to an independent agency.
Earlier, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and former president of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Trust and Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy filed petitions in the Supreme Court over allegations of animal fat being used in Tirupati Ladddus.