SC dismisses PIL seeking separate Tirupati state after laddu row
The Supreme Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an evangelist named Dr. KA Paul. The PIL sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Tirupati laddu controversy and wanted Tirupati city to be declared a separate state or Union Territory. The case was heard by a bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, with Paul himself representing in court.
Controversy over Tirupati laddu ingredients sparks legal action
The laddu controversy stemmed from a lab report released by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The report indicated that ghee used in Tirupati temple laddus under the previous YSRCP government had foreign fats, including beef fat and fish oil. The revelation prompted several petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation and greater accountability in government-run Hindu temples.
Supreme Court forms SIT, Paul files PIL
On October 4, the Supreme Court constituted an independent SIT to probe these allegations. Later that month, Paul filed his PIL against the Andhra Pradesh government, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the CBI, and others. During the hearing on Friday, Paul argued that Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution were violated, affecting Articles 14 and 21. However, Justice Gavai shot down Paul's arguments saying, "We can't direct a separate State to be created for a particular [temple]."
Court dismisses PIL, declines to set investigation deadline
When Paul likened his demand to creating Vatican City for Catholics and asked why a state couldn't be formed for Tirupati's 34 lakh residents, Justice Gavai named other religious places which would need separate states if Paul's reasoning was applied. "Then we will have to have a separate state for Jagannath Puri, for Kedarnath, for Badrinath, for Madurai temple, for Rameshwaram temple...in Maharashtra, there will have to be 4-5...then Amritsar gurudwara," Justice Gavai replied.
