Sharmila accuses NDA govt of indulging in politics

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Y S Sharmila alleged that the NDA alliance parties are politicising Tirumala laddu controversy instead of taking action on the people responsible for use of adulterated ghee making them. She said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has a report on the adulterated ghee with him and questioned why he is not taking action on it.

She said the NDA government has evidence of NDDB CALF report but its leaders are not taking action.

Speaking to media at the Andhra Ratna Bhavan here on Friday, Sharmila said the NDA parties have a hidden agenda that communal riots should take place in the state. She said the previous YSRCP government had used the adulterated ghee which contains animal fat and resorted to sacrilege and now the NDA parties are indulging in communal politics. She demanded that action should be taken on the persons responsible for the sacrilege.

She alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is moving in the directions of BJP and the TDP is trying to flare up communal tensions between the religions on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Why the Prime Minister is not coming forward for the CBI probe into the laddu row? The state government has constituted a SIT recently only after the lab report came out, why not earlier?”, she said.

Asked about former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s refusal to submit declaration of faith to visit the deity at Sri Venkateswara temple, she said it is up to him and he has to take a decision on it. But she observed that rules are same for all and everyone must follow them while visiting the temple.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the Supreme Court on behalf of APCC, Sharmila urged the apex court to take up laddu adulteration issue suo motu and appoint an investigation team. She said Tirumala laddu prasadam holds immense religious significance for millions of devotees worldwide and the tradition exists for 300 years.

“We, the APCC, humbly request that you consider exercising the Supreme Court’s suo motu jurisdiction and take cognisance of these events. We sincerely appeal to the Supreme Court to constitute an investigation panel under its direct supervision. We strongly appeal that the Supreme Court to order a CBI inquiry immediately or that the it directly monitor the SIT investigation initiated by state government…”, the letter said.