The Supreme Court of India has emphasized not to politicize religious matters, with regard to the Tirumala Laddu controversy sparked by TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu. However, this doesn’t seem to concern some of the TDP’s NRI supporters in the USA.
On Sunday, October 13th, a Shuddhi Homam was performed at the SV Temple in Cary, NC, though news of it only reached the wider public later.
The call for the homam was made via an invitation that stated: "In recent times, concerns have arisen regarding the quality of certain sacred offerings (holy laddus) consumed by our devotees. While swift actions have been taken to restore the sanctity of these offerings, this Shuddhi Homam is a response aimed at helping those who partook in the supposedly affected prasadam."
The invitation also mentioned that the Shuddhi Homam was intended for spiritual purification, restoration of sanctity, and divine blessings.
There is no credible evidence to suggest that the laddu was tainted with any 'impurities' that required a restoration of sanctity, a point understood with the response of Supreme Court, so far. Yet, TDP NRIs appear to be promoting the narrative that the laddu was 'blasphemously contaminated' and that many devotees may have unknowingly consumed something 'undesirable.'
An insider commented, "This is ridiculous—they are bringing politics into the temple and spoiling its sanctity. When we reached out to the temple, they told us that the Board of Trustees was pressured to organize this event."
Regarding this, some pundits in USA and Andhra Pradesh argue that attributing 'impurity' to divine prasadam without concrete evidence, and leading devotees to believe in such propaganda, is a greater sin than anything else. They warn that such actions could backfire on those who engage in them.
