Pawan Kalyan, the leader of Janasena and Deputy Chief Minister, has clarified his stance on the penance fast. He stated that the penance is not solely for the sake of the laddu and that the laddu is merely a triggering issue. He expressed his desire for a board to protect Sanatana traditions. He condemned the beheading of Rama’s idol in Ramateertham and mentioned that 219 temples have been destroyed over the years.
Regarding the Supreme Court’s comments, a bench consisting of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Vishwanath held hearings on the issue of alleged adulteration of the laddu. The Supreme Court took the comments about the adulterated ghee in the laddu seriously and clarified that there is preliminary evidence indicating that the ghee sent for testing was not used in the preparation of the laddus. It was noted that the Chief Minister made a public statement claiming that adulterated ghee was used during the YSRCP regime, while reports also suggested that the Executive Officer stated that no adulterated ghee was used.
This marks Pawan Kalyan’s first response to the Supreme Court’s remarks regarding the laddu adulteration case. He asserted that the Supreme Court has never stated that adulteration occurred in the laddu. He mentioned there is confusion regarding dates and emphasized that the Supreme Court’s response was based on the information they had. He added that his government would pursue this matter further, noting that this issue is not just about the laddu but also concerns the violations that have occurred over the past five years.