Adulteration as in Tirupati prasad could be at any pilgrim centre in India: Kovind

Varanasi: Referring to the Tirupati laddu controversy, former President Ram Nath Kovind said any temple across the nation might have a similar story, warranting a thorough investigation.The former President was addressing the inaugural function of a two-day national symposium on ‘Indian Cows, Organic Farming, and Panchagavya Medicine' on Saturday at the Centenary Agricultural Science auditorium of Banaras Hindu University.Kovind mentioned that some of his colleagues had visited Baba Vishwanath Dham the previous night. On receiving prasad at night, he was reminded of the Tirumala incident and experienced a sense of unease. He apologised to Baba Vishwanath for his inability to visit this time but expressed unwavering faith and devotion in the prasad.He said, "Yesterday, I received prasad from Baba Vishwanath, which evoked memories of the incident at Tirupati. I extend my sincere apologies to Baba Vishwanath for not being able to pay a visit this time, but I shall surely visit next time. Some colleagues offered the prasad, reminding me of the Tirumala offering. This raises questions about faith associated with prasad from Baba Vishwanath. The issue of adulteration is considered sinful in Hindu scriptures," he said.He added that he preferred not to delve into the specifics, but this could be the story of every temple in the country. "Such adulteration can occur at any pilgrimage site, which is a grave transgression according to Hinduism. A proper investigation should be conducted."The symposium discussed conservation and promotion of indigenous cow breeds. It was organised under the joint auspices of the department of kaya chikitsa, faculty of Ayurveda and the cow science Research Centre, Devalapur, Nagpur. Approximately 300 participants from UP, MP, Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and other states presented research papers. Over 500 people, including scientists and research scholars from India and abroad gathered for the two-day event, including experts from Nepal.The symposium aimed to discuss treatment of diseases like cancer, diabetes, depression, hypertension, allergies, etc through indigenous cows, cow rearing, and Panchagavya medicine, along with organic farming. Milk from Western breeds like Jersey, Holstein and Friesian can cause several health issues. Milk from Indian breeds like Gangatiri, Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, etc fall under the A-2 milk category.