The Supreme Court of India expressed concern on Monday over public statements regarding the alleged adulteration of the famous Tirumala laddu, noting that such comments without proper investigation could hurt the sentiments of devotees.
During the hearing, the court advised both sides to ensure that matters related to religious practices are not influenced by political interference. The next hearing in the case was scheduled for October 3.
The case was brought to the court by YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman Y V Subba Reddy, along with BJP leader and lawyer Subramanyam Swamy. They filed petitions contesting the Andhra Pradesh government’s allegations that the quality of the Tirumala laddu had been compromised. Senior advocate Siddhartha Luthra represented the Andhra Pradesh government.
TTD officials explained that there were complaints from devotees about the quality of the laddu, leading to the ghee supplied by AR Foods being inspected and sent for testing. Initial reports raised suspicions of adulteration. However, the Supreme Court questioned why a second opinion had not been sought to further investigate the quality issues.
The court raised several questions, including whether the already prepared laddus had been tested for adulteration after the issue with the ghee was discovered. The bench expressed dissatisfaction with the absence of conclusive evidence and pointed out that no second opinion had been taken from reputed laboratories, such as those in Mysore or Ghaziabad.
The Supreme Court directed all involved parties to provide clear evidence to support the claims of adulteration. The court also emphasized that a second opinion should have been sought to clear any doubts.
