SC should take suo motu cognisance of Tirupati laddu adulteration row: VHP

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of Tirupati laddu adulteration allegations and launch a probe to identify the culprits.

The Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal of VHP met at Tirupati and took this decision. It was attended by VHP's international secretary Bajrang Bagra and other pontiffs.

VHP's decision comes in the wake of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu recently claiming that the previous YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fats for making the popular Tirupati laddus, known for their unique taste.

"Supreme Court should take suo motu cognisance of this matter and investigate it in a definite time period to identify the culprits of this unforgivable crime and punish them stringently," said VHP in a release.

Further, it noted there is no room for negligence and delay in this matter as such a scenario could result in nation-wide agitations by Hindu community members, who are already impatient over this issue.

According to the VHP, allegations and counter allegations of the ruling NDA and opposition YSRCP in the southern state over the past 4-5 days on Tirupati laddus have caused immense consternation in the Hindu community.

It noted that these developments have hurt the sentiments of crores of Sri Balaji (Sri Venkateswara Swamy) devotees across the globe, observing that laddu prasadam (consecrated food) is considered and consumed as a divine blessing with utmost faith.

VHP said the allegations of laddu adulteration have 'horribly' insulted Lord Venkateswara Swamy devotees.