New Delhi:
The row over animal fat (allegedly) in ghee was used to make the Tirupati guys has been stepped up after Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Pawan KalyanSanatan Dharm' vowed to skewer (without naming) the DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin, his counterpart from neighboring Tamil Nadu.
However, Kalyan's quip against Stalin was quickly refuted, with 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'. .
Speaking in the temple town on Thursday, Mr Kalyan described allegations of adulterated ghee in the temple guysas “the tip of the iceberg” of five years of YSR Congress misrule, during which “we do not know how many crores of rupees they have collected (in bribes)”. This needs to be further investigated, he said.
Mr Kalyan, however, backtracked from directly linking or accusing former Prime Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and said, “It is not just about the honorable Prime Minister… never, till today I have referred to him and said 'he is the one …he is the perpetrator'. Even now I don't blame him.'
But while his attack on the YSRCP mirrored that of its ally, the ruling TDP, it was his swipe at “a leader of Tamil Nadu who says:”Sanatan Dharm'is like a virus and must be destroyed', which made headlines.
The joke was undoubtedly aimed at Udhayanidhi Stalin's comment in September last year; Mr. Stalin had argued that 'Sanatan Dharmagainst the idea of social justice and compared it to viral diseases such as malaria and dengue, stating that “it must be eradicated and not fought”.
The comment caused a political row because it came months before the general election; the BJP attacked Stalin, the DMK and the Congress-led opposition bloc INDIA (of which the Tamil Party is a member), accusing them of calling for the 'genocide' of 'Sanatan Dharm' practitioners.
On Thursday, Mr Kalyan took that comment out of the fridge and declared 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 can't wipe away'Sanatan Dharm'. If anyone tries, you'll be wiped out.”
'I am an impudent'sanatani'Hindu. Let me be very clear,” the Jana Sena party chief, clad in saffron, thundered at a public meeting in the temple town.
The DMK's response was detailed and swift, calling out both Mr Kalyan and his boss, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, for comments that were heavily criticized by the Supreme Court last week.
DMK spokesperson Dr Hafeezullah also called Mr Kalyan, Mr Naidu and his TDP, and the BJP, which is an ally of both leaders, 'the real enemies of Hinduism and humanity'.
“DMK does not talk about any religion… it is the people of 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 the attention of millions affected by their policies.”
“And as far as the DMK's stand on caste untouchability is concerned, it is similar to that of Baba Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule and Periyar, and other founders of the Dravidian movement. Whoever is promoting it…you can call it that all but DMK will continue to oppose these practices.”
READ | Pawan Kalyan ends penance of eleven days at Tirumala temple
In the wake of the guys Mr. Kalyan has repeatedly called for a pan-India commission to protect 'sanatan dharma' and warned against the “desecration of 'sanathan dharma' in any form.” Tirupati.
“Keep gods out of politics…”
The Supreme Court, he also said, had already criticized Chandrababu Naidu for jumping the gun on animal fat allegations in Tirupati. laddoo ghee; The court last week said religion and politics should not mix and took a dim view of Mr Naidu's comments on the subject.
READ | “Keep gods out of politics”: High Court in Tirupati Laddoo Row
The court this morning directed a special team – comprising two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh police personnel and a senior official of the Centre-run Food Safety and Standards Authority – to investigate the animal fat claims.
READ | 'Matter of faith': Supreme Court orders special investigation into Laddoo Row
A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan said the court does not want “political drama” on the issue as it represents an important issue of faith for millions of devotees worldwide.
NDTV explains | How the Laddoos are made and how the ingredients are obtained
The Tirupati kitchen makes around three lakh laddoos every day, using around 1,500 kg of ghee and huge quantities of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamom, gram flour and sugar.
Last month, the Andhra government red-flagged a July report from a laboratory in Gujarat that said samples of ghee purchased from a supplier in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow and lard, a form of pork fat. . The lab also added a disclaimer about “false positives.”
With input from agencies
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