Lies, Damn Lies And Now Laddu Politics!

As the beef-in-laddu controversy raged, the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam CEO’s statement that the adulterated ghee was never used in the making of the prasadam got almost lost. Questions were raised about Naidu shooting off his mouth too early and his hurry to win brownies with the Mo-Sha regime

The world had tremendous respect and admiration for Nara Chandrababu Naidu for infra push and tech savvy policies. He just not only did create another city called Cyberabad, but changed the face of Hyderabad into a technology capital creating jobs, while contributing to socio-economic growth. Hyderabad, once notorious as a laid-back city where nobody bothered about punctuality and you could throw your wristwatch. But Naidu created a new culture: Hyderabad means business. All these can be chapters in one more book on Hyderabad.

Cut to September18, 2024. Naidu informs the NDA Legislature Party meeting that the Tirupati laddu was being made with substandard material such as animal fat used instead of ghee. All hell broke loose with the entire media reporting it and the Godi media and the BJP IT Cell going overboard. Naidu blamed his predecessor Jaganmohan Reddy. This prompted the right wing, blinded by religious propaganda, to pick up the Christian angle to damn Jagan.

Unlike his big brother BJP (at the Centre, I mean) Naidu did not require to whip up religious frenzy nor had to castigate the YSR Congress which has just 11 MLAs in the 175-seat legislative assembly. Naidu enjoyed secular credentials, respecting all sections of the people and their religious and cultural practices. In fact, his body language while greeting shows the Aadab posture, and not Namaste! In fact, he has been credited for forcing the Modi government to refer the Waqf Board bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The question that was asked was: whether Naidu would support a seemingly anti-Muslim bill when he back home promised reservations for the backward Muslims! There was also a talk in the corridors of power that two crutches of Nitish Kumar and Naidu would rein in Mo-Sha.

Post September 18, the progressive Naidu suddenly appeared to be regressive and is seen as another CM fanning the communal passions. The man with a global outlook is dragged into petty, dirty communal politics. Was he required to prove his credentials to Delhi? Or was there something else that he had to hide and save his skin (as YouTuber Ravish Kumar wondered).

All this began to happen amid political discussions over permutations and combinations and the possibility of the Modi government collapsing next year as the ‘crutches’ would most likely be pulled out. The Congress has in fact been saying the government is bound to collapse next year.

As the beef-in-laddu controversy raged, the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam CEO’s statement that the adulterated ghee was never used in the making of the prasadam got almost lost. Questions were raised about Naidu shooting off his mouth too early and his hurry to win brownies with the Mo-Sha regime. But that was all drowned in the religion-based din whipped by the IT Cell and the likes of Madhavi Lata who chanted Bhajans on a Vandebharat train to Tirupati.

Surprisingly, neither Modi nor Amit Shah spoke anything about the laddoo controversy. Or have they left it to others?!

Not to be left behind, spiritual leaders such Sri Sri Ravishankar tried to add ghee to the fire over laddu by stating “We have read in history books how in 1857, the sepoy mutiny happened. And now we see how the sentiments of Hindus are deeply wounded by this laddu.”

“Sadguru” Jaggi Vasudev said in his post on X platform: “Devotees consuming beef tallow in the Temple prasadam is beyond disgusting. This is why Temples should be run by Devotees, not by government administrations. Where there is no Devotion, there shall be no sanctity. Time the Hindu Temples are run by devout Hindus, not by government administration. -Sg”

All hurried in without waiting for the inquiry report. One cannot of course blame them as the high constitutional functionary himself indulged in it.

The Supreme Court’s stinging observations on Monday came like a bolt from the blue and Naidu obviously did not know where to look. The judges fired Naidu for jumping the gun and talking about animal fat in the laddus even before ordering inquiry. The apex court also took objection to the high constitutional functionary publicising the allegations and said: “We expect the Gods to be kept away from politicians”.

Exactly! Why did Naidu bring God into politics which is anyway being done by the BJP (remember, Jo Ram Ko Laye Hain, Hum UnkoLaayenge?). You are known by the company that you keep, Mr Naidu!

The judge’s remark to keep Gods away from politics should take us to a larger question of politicising religion. BJP leaders do not miss any opportunity to do so. In fact, the likes of Yogi Aadityanath and Hemant Biswa Sharma rampantly misuse religious feelings for narrow political gains. Sharma has in fact gone to the extent of saying that he would close all Madarsas as they produce Mullas. The country needs doctors and engineers, not Mullas, he said. What can you expect from him when the top bosses talk of Hindu-Muslim-Mangalsutra-Buffalos and make statements laced with lies?

I do not hold any brief for the Congress or for any party. I am only concerned when leaders try to mislead people and talk blatant lies. For instance, Modi attacks Rahul Gandhi for trying to abolish reservations when the Congress vice president speaks of continuing the education and job quotas till the time the social inequality goes.

Ten years after the BJP rule, Modi and Amit Shah have no agenda but to criticise Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and continue to play on Pulwama even six years after the surgical strike.

With religion on the one hand and diversions and lies on the other, you cannot fool all of the people all the time. Issues such as education, unemployment, price rise and people getting pushed into poverty will have to be addressed.

In Haryana, while the BJP kept blaming the Congress legacy, Rahul Gandhi picked up the ‘dunki’ issue of the youth spending lakhs of rupees to illegally enter the US and then getting stuck there. That is the result of the government’s apparent failure to provide job opportunities in Haryana and other states, he said.

(The columnist is a Mumbai-based author and independent media veteran, running websites and a YouTube channel known for his thought-provoking messaging.)