On Monday, the Supreme Court strongly emphasized the need to keep religion separate from politics during its hearing on allegations concerning the use of animal fat in the ghee used to prepare laddoos at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh. The controversy centers around the claim that the sacred prasadam laddoos may have been made using ghee containing fish oil, beef tallow, and pig fat (lard), sparking outrage and religious concerns.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tells Supreme Court that this is a matter of faith. If this ghee was used, its unacceptable. It has to be seen who was responsible and this needs to be examined.Supreme Court tells Solicitor General that it would like him to examine as to whether…— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2024Court criticizes timing of lab report releaseDuring the hearing, the court also expressed disapproval over the timing of a lab report released by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, which alleged that the ghee used for the prasadam was contaminated with non-vegetarian substances. Chief among the courts concerns was the fact that the lab report was made public even as an SIT probe into the matter had already been ordered. “Why was there a need to go to the press” the bench questioned the Andhra Pradesh government, stating that religious sentiments must be respected.Questioning the use of contaminated gheeThe Supreme Court also asked if there was any proof that the ghee found to be contaminated was used in the preparation of the prasadam laddoos. While the government replied that the matter was still under investigation, the court emphasized that the press release had occurred without conclusive proof. Senior advocate Siddhartha Luthra, representing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), mentioned complaints from devotees that the laddoos did not taste right, sparking further scrutiny. However, the court pointed out that the public was unaware of these findings and criticized the government for issuing statements without sufficient evidence.Concerns over religious harmonySenior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, representing Subramanian Swamy, appeared in court as a devotee, expressing concern over the potential for the controversy to disturb communal harmony. He stressed that any allegations related to contamination in prasadam hold significant weight and need thorough examination to avoid further issues.Senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao representing Subramanium Swamy says he is here as a devotee and the statement made in the press about the contamination in prasadam has far-reaching implications and can raise a whole lot of other issues and disturb communal harmony. These are… https://t.co/kDnLsZh3m3— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2024Next steps in the investigationAs the SIT probe into the matter continues, the Supreme Court urged the government to approach the investigation with care and avoid making premature public statements. The bench reiterated that the integrity of religious practices must be preserved and cautioned against using sensitive religious matters for political gain.
