Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 7 : Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Tirupati laddu adulteration case found evidence of adulteration through the mixing of chemicals, and claimed that animal fat was also involved, citing what he said was an NDDB report.
He stated that the investigation is proceeding in line with court directions and that the facts are now public.
Naidu's remarks came in response to YSRCP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who earlier asserted that the CBI charge sheet has conclusively closed the matter. Jagan said the charge sheet, relying on NDDB and NDRI laboratory reports, clearly stated that no animal fat was present in the ghee used for Tirupati laddus.
"It's absolutely clear regarding the ladoos. SIT also said that there was mixing of chemicals, and also mixing of animal fat. This was also determined by a report from the NDDB. So, according to whatever the court decides, the investigation is also proceeding accordingly. Everything is out in the open regarding this. People know what happened," Ram Mohan Naidu told reporters.
Ram Mohan Naidu alleged that the opposition was misrepresenting facts and attempting to mislead people. He said the Supreme Court never stated that there was no adulteration, and emphasised that the SIT report clearly acknowledged adulteration.
"But to spread false information, the opposition here and their party are trying to mislead people, to hide the facts, and are trying to bring forward false things. The public knows what is right and what is wrong. The Supreme Court didn't say anywhere that there was no mixing, which is what they are trying to say and mislead people," he said.
He added that the government remains committed to protecting Sanatan Dharma, temples, and cultural traditions, and would proceed strictly based on investigative findings and court observations.
"So, in this matter, we all have to carefully observe what the court said, what their report said. There has been adulteration. This is clearly stated in the report, so we will proceed accordingly. The government's commitment has always been to protect Sanatan Dharma, Hinduism, our temples, our culture, our unique identity," Ram Mohan Naidu said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy had earlier accused Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu of spreading false allegations over the past 18 months against YSRCP's involvement in the Tirupati laddu adulteration case, claiming these statements hurt religious sentiments and misled the public.