Laddu row turns into major political storm

Testing lab

A committee appointed by the Naidu government has recommended that the TTD set up its own adulteration testing lab. It will cost around Rs 75 lakh and NDDB has agreed to donate some equipment and help us set it up. It may be set up by the end of this year.

Hyderabad: The reprehensible act of sacrilege of hurting the sentiments of hundreds of crores of Hindus who believe in Lord Venkateswara is taking a very serious turn. What began as protests by devotees is now taking the shape of a major storm as the Centre has taken the upfront on the sacred traditions very seriously.

Union Minister J P Nadda spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and asked him to send all the related reports. He told Naidu that the Centre would fully cooperate and do what all was necessary to get to the bottom of the issue.

On the other hand, the VHP Margadarshak Mandali and Swamijis in Andhra Pradesh have given a call to the people to wake up early on Saturday which is considered to be the most important day for the Lord, cleanse their house, take bath, perform puja and take up protests and demonstrations demanding stringent punishment against those responsible for the sacrilege particulary against former TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy. This protest is not against the government. It is to tell the government that all of them are behind the government in cleansing the system, they said. The seers and chief priest of Ramajanmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya said the TTD had sent one lakh laddus when the Ram temple was consecrated and the then AP government resorted to sacrilege. Other Swamjis said if the Central and state governments do not take stringent action, they would take to streets.

Union Minister Prahlad Joshi expressed concern over the issue and demanded harshest punishment against the guilty. APCC chief Sharmila wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding a CBI probe into the issue.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay urged the Centre and state governments to order an in-depth probe into issue.

Another Union minister Giriraj Singh also demanded for a CBI probe saying that it was an attack on Hindu Dharma. Union Minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar expressed shock and demanded a thorough probe and said heads should roll if found guilty.

Meanwhile, the TTD EO at a press conference said that the lab reports indicated that the ingredients were highly adulterated and hence all old contracts have been cancelled and they have started buying pure cow ghee again from Nandini Dairy, Karnataka. He further said that legal action has been initiated against the blacklisted companies. Interestingly, the NDDB also confirmed that they had given the lab reports and that they were genuine. On the legal front, an eminent lawyer Vineet Jindal had written to the Chief Justice of Supreme Court seeking NSA probe against the former TTD members.