Tirupati: The Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, offered prayers at Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala on Sunday.
The CJI’s visit is significant as it is set against the backdrop of a heated controversy over the alleged presence of animal fat in the ghee used for making the temple’s laddu prasadam.
Justice Chandrachud, his wife Kalpana Das and other family members entered the temple through the Vaikuntha queue complex and offered prayers in the sanctum sanctorum, said Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the famous hill shrine, also known as Balaji temple.
After darshan, the Vedic Pundits offered Vedaseervachanam to the Chief Justice of India and his family at Ranganayakula Mandapam.
TTD Executive Officer J. Syamala Rao presented Srivari’s lamination photo and Thirtha Prasadams to the CJI.
Earlier, TTD Executive Officer and Additional Executive Officer Venkaiah Chowdhary welcomed Justice Chandrachud at Vaikuntha Queue Complex.
On September 18, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu made a serious allegation, claiming that the ghee used for making laddus during the YSR Congress Party rule contained animal fat, adding a dramatic twist to the controversy.
The Chief Minister has already ordered the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police to investigate the allegations. The SIT is expected to conduct a thorough examination of the ghee used in the prasadam and present its findings to the public.
YSR Congress Party President and former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has refuted Chandrababu Naidu’s accusations, claiming that he has lowered Tirumala temple’s reputation and hurt devotees’ sentiments by making false allegations.
Two days ago, Jagan Mohan Reddy had to drop his plans to visit Tirumala temple after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jana Sena demanded that he give a declaration of his faith. This demand was seen (by YSRCP) as a political move to discredit Jagan’s commitment to the temple and his religious beliefs.
Accusing the TDP-led coalition government of trying to prevent him from visiting the temple, Jagan had appealed to people to visit temples in their respective places and pray that the god’s wrath for tarnishing the sanctity of Tirumala remains confined to Chandrababu Naidu.
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–IANS
