Union Health Minister Nadda on Friday said he had spoken to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and sought a full report on the Tirupati laddu issue. He added that the Centre would examine the matter and take suitable action.

“As soon as I got this news, I called Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and got details and told him to send the report that he has. I will examine the report, and I will also talk to state regulators. Suitable action will be taken accordingly. We will take action as per the rules of Food Safety Standards Authority of India,” said Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda while speaking to PTI.

Naidu has claimed that animal fat was used for making Tirupati laddus during the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government, triggering a massive political row with the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) accusing the Chief Minister of indulging in heinous allegations for political gains and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) circulating a lab report to back the claim.

Earlier in the day, Food Minister Pralhad Joshi called for an inquiry into the controversial claims made by Naidu. “Whatever the Andhra Chief Minister has said is a matter of serious concern. A detailed inquiry is required, and the culprit should be punished,” he said on the sidelines of a global food regulators summit.

During an NDA legislative party meeting held on September 18, Naidu made serious accusations against the previous administration led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Naidu alleged that the former government compromised the sanctity of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati by using substandard ingredients and animal fat in the preparation of laddus.

Meanwhile, YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy said only Chandrababu Naidu has mentality to use god for politics.

“Andhra CM Naidu is such a person who can use god also for political gains,” he added.

Ghee adulteration allegations to divert attention from Chandrababu Naidu’s 100 days rule in AP, Jagan slammed Naidu over laddu controversy.

Andhra Pradesh Congress president YS Sharmila said that Naidu presented a report that said a sample was taken on the day he assumed power and that sample reported that there was beef and fish oil in the ingredients that were used to make the laddus in Tirupati.

“We don’t understand why N Chandrababu Naidu made these remarks so casually. Therefore, Congress has demanded a CBI inquiry over this issue,” Sharmila added.

The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on Karnataka High Court over controversial remarks made by Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda during a recent court hearing and sought a report from it.

While addressing a landlord-tenant dispute, Justice Srishananda referred to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as Pakistan and made a misogynistic comment involving a woman lawyer. 

A panel of five judges headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud of India, alongside Justices S Khanna, B R Gavai, S Kant, and H Roy, highlighted the necessity of establishing clear guidelines for constitutional court judges when making statements in court.

The bench of the Supreme Court emphasised the importance of ensuring that judicial comments adhere to the expected etiquette of courts, especially in the context where social media actively monitors and amplifies court proceedings.

Justice Srishananda’s videos have circulated widely on social media platforms. In one video, he referred to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as Pakistan. Another video captured him making inappropriate comments towards a female lawyer, implying her deep knowledge about the Opposition party might extend to revealing the colour of their undergarments.

CJI Chandrachud said that attention has been drawn to media reports of the comments made by the Justice of Karnataka High Court during the court proceedings.

The top court requested the High Court to submit a report after seeking instructions from the Chief Justice of the High Court.

CJI Chandrachud noted the media coverage of remarks made by a Justice of the Karnataka High Court during court proceedings. He requested the High Court to provide a report after consulting the Chief Justice of the High Court, stating, “We may lay down some basic guidelines.”

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court instructed the report to be submitted within two days, with a hearing on the matter scheduled for the following Wednesday.

An FIR has been registered against Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu for his alleged remarks against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the statements he made in the US about the condition of Sikhs in India, the police said on Thursday.

The case was registered at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka based on a complaint by one of the office-bearers of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, they said.

A police officer said: “The FIR was registered under Sections 353 (2) (making, publishing or circulating a statement or report with false information, rumours, or alarming news), 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot- if rioting be committed; if not committed) and 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at High Grounds Police Station here.”

Attacking the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha over the statements about the condition of Sikhs in India, the Minister of State for Railways on Sunday said if those “manufacturing bombs” were supporting him, he is the “number one terrorist”.

Condemning the statement, the Congress had said Bittu was talking “like a senseless man.”

Earlier, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge posted a video of “his message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi” on X, highlighting the extremely objectionable, violent and indecent statements made by BJP leaders and their allies against the Leader of the Opposition.

Kharge said, “Indian culture is known throughout the world for non-violence, harmony and love.”

The Congress chief requested Modi to impose discipline and decorum on his leaders. “Instruct them to behave properly. Strict legal action should be taken for such statements so that Indian politics can be prevented from becoming degenerate. Nothing untoward happens. I trust that he will take the required action to stop these leaders from making violent statements immediately,” Kharge asserted in a video message.

“We have also written a letter on this subject, hope he will respond to that letter,” he added.

Meanwhile, responding to Kharge’s letter, BJP president JP Nadda accused Gandhi of having a history of abusing PM Modi and OBCs, and of siding with anti-India forces.

In a tit-for-tat response, Nadda cited his party’s own litany of complaints against the LoP and other Congress members for their choice of words against the Prime Minister.