New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS): Congress leader and former MP, Sandeep Dikshit on Friday strongly condemned the administration of Tirupati temple for negligence and called it a failure.
Speaking to IANS, Dikshit asserted that the institution of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is very big and there are Chairmans or MDs who are appointed by the government to look into it.
If such things are happening in the temple, then it is clear that the administration that was responsible for this is a failure, he said.
A lab report on Thursday confirmed that the laddus offered to devotees as prasad at Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh contained animal fats and fish oil.
After that, a major controversy broke out after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YSRCP government of using it in the temple.
"This is very shocking news. Tirupati temple is a holy place in which millions of Indians have faith. And if you take it another way, when our friend or colleague goes there, we wait for him to get laddus. I think it is one of the most famous and most loved things in India," he added.
Dikshit also requested a proper investigation into this matter.
"If animal fat and substandard ingredients are found in the laddus, then, it is a matter of great misfortune. I request the government there to conduct a proper probe into this. Then, it will reveal how the laddus are made, and from where the ingredients come. It will reveal everything!”, he asserted.
The Congress leader also responded to the Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan's statement where he said that the state government is committed to taking stringent action against those involved in this.
"Look, that's fine. What they want to do in their state is their opinion. But if it is an existing law for it, you should implement the normal law at the ground level. Then, there will be no problem. In India, there is a Food Security Act, in which there are food inspectors, who inspect things or any irregularities in the food," he stated.
He asserted that there is no need for a new Board and an existing law should be implemented.
“I know you have recently become the Deputy CM. Tell your government that if you implement all the laws properly, and all the provisions, then 99 per cent of such mistakes will not happen,” he said.