The Andhra Pradesh High Court has set September 25 as the date to hear a petition by YSRCP senior leader Y V Subba Reddy concerning the ongoing controversy over the composition of Tirupati laddus, a revered consecrated offering. The petition aims to address allegations that animal fat was used in the sweets during the previous YSRCP administration.
Subba Reddy’s legal counsel, P Sudhakar Reddy, who served as the additional advocate general under the YSRCP government, initiated a lunch motion petition today, seeking a thorough investigation into these claims. However, the court decided to schedule the hearing for next Wednesday.
Sudhakar Reddy proposed that the investigation should be conducted either by a sitting High Court judge, a newly formed committee by the High Court, or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He emphasized the need for a credible probe, stating, “Let this (animal fat allegation) be investigated by a credible authority to clear the air.”
The controversy was stoked further during a recent NDA legislative party meeting when TDP supremo and current Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the YSRCP government compromised the sanctity of the Sri Venkateswara Temple by using substandard ingredients, including animal fat, in the preparation of laddus. These accusations have not only triggered a political uproar but have also deeply affected the sentiments of countless Hindu devotees.
Sudhakar Reddy accused CM Naidu of using the issue to gain political advantage and to distract from his declining public image. “When you make an allegation, we want the truth to come out… you cannot use Gods as your planks for mudslinging. The truth should not emerge from an investigating agency working under him (Naidu). Because he has already cast the die…” he remarked.
