Tirupati laddu row: Andhra govt appoints SIT to probe alleged adulteration

The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday (September 26) appointed a nine-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged issue of adulterating Tirupati laddus (consecrated sweet) with animal fats.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu alleged during a recent NDA legislative party meeting that the erstwhile YSRCP government did not even spare Sri Venkateswara temple and used substandard ingredients and animal fats for making laddus.

The allegations sparked a massive controversy across the country, hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus.

"The government of Andhra Pradesh, in accordance with its commitment to protecting the sanctity of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), have (has) considered it necessary to constitute an SIT for detailed and comprehensive investigation of the entire issue," said Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad in a late night order on Thursday.

TTD is the official custodian of Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati.

On September 22, the CM announced at his Undavalli residence that an SIT would probe the alleged sacrilege of adulterating the laddus.

The SIT is headed by Guntur range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sarvashresth Tripathi and other police officials.

However, YSRCP leaders said that probing the allegations by an agency reporting to the CM is insufficient and called for a Supreme Court-monitored probe.

Earlier, P Sudhakar Reddy, former additional advocate general, noted that the truth in the laddu allegations should not emanate from an investigation agency working under Naidu.

(With agency inputs)