The Tirupati laddoo controversy has been referred to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by Supreme Court of India. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Andhra Pradesh Police officers will join the SIT for two each, along with a senior bureaucrat from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
A decision was taken to allow for an independent and thorough investigation. The bench too went to the extent of not wanting the case to be used to settle political scores, saying, 'It won’t be of political value; it must not be utilised as a political weapon' and, 'Court cannot be turned into a political battleground.'
It is the controversy about the quality and parameters of Tirupati laddoo, a sacred offering from the Tirumala Tirupati temple, one of the most sacred of religious places in India. The legal action is sparked by widespread debate over hygiene and safety.
To ensure transparency and accountability, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta recommended that a senior official of the central government observer the SIT work. And he said that if it turned out to be true, it would be 'unacceptable.'
The Supreme Court got involved to underscore the seriousness of the issue, the need for a fact based, apolitical investigation so that the world can have faith in the sanctity of the temple's offerings.
