SC dismisses PIL seeking CBI probe into Tirupati laddus row
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday junked a PIL seeking a CBI probe into alleged use of animal fat in making Tirupati laddus under the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led regime.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan dismissed the plea filed by one K A Paul, a social activist and president of organisation 'Global Peace Initiative'.
“Going by your prayer, we will have to create separate states for all temples, gurudwaras etc. We can't direct that a separate state be created for a particular. Dismissed,” the bench said.
In his plea, Paul had sought seeking a "comprehensive investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations of corruption and mismanagement surrounding the procurement and preparation of the Laddu Prasadam".
The top court on October 4 had set up a five-member independent SIT to probe the allegations of animal fat used in preparing Tirupati laddus to "assuage the feelings of crores of people" while making clear that the court cannot be used as a "political battleground".
It had directed that the independent SIT will comprise two officers each from the CBI and the Andhra Pradesh Police besides a senior official of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Paul, in his PIL, said allegations levelled by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that substandard ingredients were used in the preparation of 'Laddu Prasadam', including adulterated ghee, have raised serious concerns among devotees and tarnished the sanctity of this sacred offering.
The petition underscored the growing communal tensions and the violation of fundamental religious rights, citing Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom to practice and propagate religion.
"The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is one of the biggest sites for Hindus around the world. The Laddu Prasadam holds immense religious and cultural significance for all Hindus.
"Any compromise on its sanctity not only affects millions of devotees but also tarnishes the reputation of this institution. I have filed this petition in the interest of the devotees and to ensure that political manipulation and corruption do not undermine our sacred traditions" Paul said.
The chief minister had claimed that animal fat was used in preparing Tirupati laddus under the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in the state, triggering a massive political row.
The YSR Congress Party accused Naidu of indulging in "heinous allegations" for political gains and the ruling Telugu Desam Party in the state circulating a laboratory report to back its claim.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
