Police have registered a case against seven users of the social media platform ‘X’ for allegedly spreading misinformation that the “low-quality” ghee used in making laddus at the Tirupati temple was sourced from the ‘Amul’ brand, an official reported on Saturday.
The controversy began after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was used in the laddus prepared at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple during the previous state government. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets products under the Amul brand, has firmly denied supplying ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the organisation managing the temple.
According to the FIR, the users of seven different handles on ‘X’ propagated false information claiming that ghee containing animal fat, used for preparing the laddus, belonged to the Amul brand. This, the FIR states, was intended to harm the reputation of the GCMMF.
The police have charged the accused under sections 336(4) and 196(1)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertain to forgery aimed at damaging a party’s reputation and promoting enmity based on religion or race. Additionally, provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act were invoked.
In a clarification posted on its X handle, ‘Amul.coop,’ the GCMMF stated that it has never supplied Amul ghee to TTD. The statement emphasized that Amul ghee is produced from high-quality milk fat at ISO-certified facilities, aimed at countering the misinformation campaign.
GCMMF Managing Director Jayen Mehta expressed concern over the misinformation affecting the 36 lakh dairy farmer families reliant on Amul for their livelihood.
“In Andhra Pradesh, the ghee used in the Tirupati temple was found with adulteration. Some people tried to propagate false information by saying that ghee to TTD was supplied by Amul.” “To stop this ‘misinformation campaign’, we have lodged an FIR in the cybercrime branch of Ahmedabad, as, this is a serious issue, related to 36 lakh families, who are associated with Amul,” Mehta told ANI.
The MD of the cooperative milk federation, which owns the Amul brand said that Amul “has never supplied its product to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).” “Amul products are of top quality and pass through stringent quality checks. We urge people to stay away from such kind of disinformation,” Mehta said.
Amid a row over the use of animal fat in prasadam given at Tirumala temple, Amul on September 20 issued a statement, stating that it had never supplied ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).