The row over animal fat (allegedly) in ghee used to make the Tirupati laddoos has ramped up after Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expanded on his 'sanatan dharm' vow to jab (without naming) the DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin, his counterpart from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Mr Kalyan's jab at Mr Stalin was swiftly rebutted. DMK spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah saying his party "does not talk about any religion, or Hinduism in particular" but "will continue to talk against caste atrocities, untouchability, and caste hierarchy". Mr Stalin offered a smile and a "let's see..." comment.
Speaking Thursday at the temple town Mr Kalyan described allegations of adulterated ghee in the laddoosas "the tip of the iceberg" of five years of YSR Congress misrule, in which "we don't know how many crores of rupees they collected (in bribes)". This must be investigated further, he said.
Mr Kalyan, however, walked back from directly linking or blaming former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, saying, "It is not just about the honourable Chief Minister... never, till today have I pointed to him and said, 'he is the one... he is the perpetrator'. I am on record. Even now I am not blaming him."
But while his attack on the YSRCP echoed those by his ally, the ruling TDP, it was his swipe at "a Tamil Nadu leader who says 'sanatan dharm' is like a virus and must be destroyed" that made headlines.
The jab was inarguably directed at Udhayanidhi Stalin's comment in September last year; Mr Stalin had argued that 'sanatan dharm' against the idea of social justice and compared it to viral diseases like malaria and dengue, declaring "it must be eradicated and not opposed".
The remark triggered a political row since it came months before a general election; the BJP pounced on Mr Stalin, the DMK, and the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc (of which the Tamil party is a member), accusing them of calling for the 'genocide' of 'sanatan dharm' practitioners.
On Thursday Mr Kalyan dug that remark out of cold storage, declaring, in Tamil, "Don't say 'sanatan dharm' is like a virus and (you) will destroy (it). Whoever said this, let me tell you sir... you cannot wipe out 'sanatan dharm'. If anyone tries... then you will be wiped out."
"I am an unapologetic 'sanatani' Hindu. Let me be very clear," the Jana Sena Party boss, clad in saffron, thundered at a public rally at the temple town.
The DMK's response was detailed and quick, calling out both Mr Kalyan and his boss, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, for comments heavily criticised last week by the Supreme Court.
DMK spokesperson Dr Hafeezullah also called Mr Kalyan, Mr Naidu and his TDP, and the BJP, which is an ally to both leaders, as "the real enemies of Hinduism and humanity".
"DMK does not talk about any religion... it is the people from the BJP, TDP, and Pawan Kalyan who use religion and Hindu gods for political gains. They are the real enemies... this statement (by Mr Kalyan) is an attempt to divert attention from crores affected by their policies."
"And, as far as the DMK's stand on caste untouchability goes.. it is similar to that taken by Baba Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule, and Periyar, and other founders of the Dravidian movement. Whoever is promoting it... you can call it anything but DMK will continue to oppose these practices."
READ | Pawan Kalyan Ends 11-Day Penance At Tirumala Temple
In the aftermath of the laddoos row Mr Kalyan has repeatedly called for a pan-India committee to protect 'sanatan dharma' and warned of the 'desecration of 'sanathan dharma' in any form". Declaring himself deeply offended, he went on a 11-day penance concluding Wednesday at Tirupati.
"Keep Gods Out Of Politics..."
The Supreme Court, he also said, had already criticised Chandrababu Naidu for jumping the gun about allegations of animal fat in Tirupati laddoo ghee; the court last week said religion and politics could not be allowed to mix and took a dim view of Mr Naidu's comments on this topic.
READ | "Keep Gods Out Of Politics": Supreme Court On Tirupati Laddoo Row
The court this morning ordered a special team - consisting of two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh Police personnel, and a senior official from the centre-run Food Safety and Standards Authority - to investigate the animal fat claims.
READ | "Matter Of Faith": Top Court Orders Special Probe Into Laddoo Row
A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan said the court does not want 'political drama' on this topic since it represents an important matter of faith for millions of devotees worldwide.
NDTV Explains | How The Laddoos Made And How Ingredients Are Procured
The kitchen at Tirupati makes around three lakh laddoos daily, with around 1,500 kg of ghee and vast amounts of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar used.
Last month the Andhra government red-flagged a July report from a lab in Gujarat that said samples of the the ghee bought from a supplier in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard, which is a form of pig fat. The lab also added a disclaimer about "false positives".
With input from agencies
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