The row over animal fat (allegedly) in ghee used to make the Tirupati laddoos has ramped up after Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expanded on his ‘sanatan dharm‘ vow to jab (without naming) the DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin, his counterpart from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Mr Kalyan’s jab at Mr Stalin was swiftly rebutted, though, 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 Thursday at the temple town Mr Kalyan described allegations of adulterated ghee in the laddoos as “the tip of the iceberg” of five years of YSR Congress misrule, in which “we don’t know how many crores of rupees they collected (in bribes)”. This must be investigated further, he said.

But while his attack on the YSR Congress and former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy echo those by ally and the ruling Telugu Desam Party, it was his swipe at “a Tamil Nadu leader who says ‘sanatan dharm‘ is like a virus and must be destroyed” that made headlines.

The jab was inarguably directed at Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment in September last year; Mr Stalin had argued that ‘sanatan dharm‘ against the idea of social justice and compared it to viral diseases like malaria and dengue, declaring “it must be eradicated and not opposed“.

The remark triggered a political row since it came months before a general election; the BJP pounced on Mr Stalin, the DMK, and the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc (of which the Tamil party is a member), accusing them of calling for the ‘genocide’ of ‘sanatan dharm‘ practitioners.

On Thursday Mr Kalyan dug that remark out of cold storage, declaring, 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 cannot wipe out ‘sanatan dharm‘. If anyone tries… then you will be wiped out.”

“I am an unapologetic ‘sanatani‘ Hindu. Let me be very clear,” the Jana Sena Party boss, clad in saffron, thundered at a public rally at the temple town.

The DMK’s response was detailed and quick, calling out both Mr Kalyan and his boss, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, for comments heavily criticised last week by the Supreme Court.

DMK spokesperson Dr Hafeezullah also called Mr Kalyan, Mr Naidu and his TDP, and the BJP, which is an ally to both leaders, as “the real enemies of Hinduism and humanity”.

“DMK does not talk about any religion… it is the people from the 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 attention from crores affected by their policies.”

“And, as far as the DMK’s stand on caste untouchability goes.. it is similar to that taken by Baba Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule, and Periyar, and other founders of the Dravidian movement. Whoever is promoting it… you can call it anything but DMK will continue to oppose these practices.”

READ | Pawan Kalyan Ends 11-Day Penance At Tirumala Temple

In the aftermath of the laddoos row Mr Kalyan has repeatedly called for a pan-India committee to protect ‘sanatan dharma’ and warned of the ‘desecration of ‘sanathan dharma’ in any form“. Declaring himself deeply offended, he went on a 11-day penance concluding Wednesday at Tirupati.

“Keep Gods Out Of Politics…”

The Supreme Court, he also said, had already criticised Chandrababu Naidu for jumping the gun about allegations of animal fat in Tirupati laddoo ghee; the court last week said religion and politics could not be allowed to mix and took a dim view of Mr Naidu’s comments on this topic.

READ | “Keep Gods Out Of Politics”: Supreme Court On Tirupati Laddoo Row

The court this morning ordered a special team – consisting of two CBI officers, two Andhra Pradesh Police personnel, and a senior official from the centre-run Food Safety and Standards Authority.

READ | “Matter Of Faith”: Top Court Orders Special Probe Into Laddoo Row

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan said the court does not want ‘political drama’ on this topic since it represents an important matter of faith for millions of devotees worldwide.

With input from agencies

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A 17-year-old was on Thursday arrested for allegedly killing a 55-year-old doctor inside his private nursing home in Delhi a day before, police said. He had come along with his teen friend – currently on the run – for first-aid treatment to the three-bedded Nima Hospital in southeast Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj area, and allegedly shot dead Dr Javed Akhtar, a practitioner of Unani Medicine.

According to sources, the minor told the doctor that he had charged more money for the treatment, so he killed him.

After the incident, he allegedly uploaded a post on a social media platform with his photograph and a caption: “Kar diya 2024 mein murder” (Finally committed murder in 2024).

Both boys lived in the same locality and the weapon used in the crime has been recovered, police said.

The police have also questioned a female nurse of the nursing home and her husband in connection with the case, sources said.

According to the hospital staff, the two teenagers reached the hospital late at night on Wednesday and one of them asked for a change of dressing for his injured toe. 

The teenager was also treated at the hospital the night before.

After the dressing was done, the teenagers said they wanted a prescription and went to the cabin of Mr Akhtar.

Minutes later, nursing staff Gajala Parveen and Md Kamil heard a gunshot. They rushed to the doctor’s cabin and found him bleeding from his head.

The incident comes less than two months after the Kolkata horror in which a doctor on night shift was raped and murdered at a state-run hospital. The Kolkata incident sparked nationwide protests by doctors demanding the safety of healthcare staff on duty.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan claims the Tirupati laddu adulteration issue is just the beginning, pointing to further wrongdoings by the previous regime. He emphasizes the need for a thorough investigation and urges the judiciary to consider corruption charges against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Kalyan also advocates for protecting Sanatana Dharma through national legislation.