The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition seeking to direct the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to ensure only the milk of indigenous cows is used in rituals and for bhog prasad at the renowned Tirupati Venkateswara Balaji Temple.
A bench comprising Justice MM Sundaresh and Justice N Kotiswar Singh permitted the petitioner to withdraw the plea and approach the relevant High Court instead.
During the hearing, Justice Sundaresh observed, “A cow is a cow. True love for God lies in serving fellow creatures and not in getting into these issues. There are much more important issues present in society.” He emphasised that the remarks were made “with full respect”.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that, according to the Agamshastras, there is a clear distinction and that using indigenous cow milk is integral to tradition. He submitted that TTD itself had passed a proposal and order in this regard and that the petition only sought its implementation.
In response, Justice Sundaresh remarked that such classifications were man-made, rooted in language, caste, community, or region, and not divine instructions.
“God is equal for all humans. He is kind and fair to other creatures as well. You cannot say God wants only milk from a local cow. God must have something else, isn’t it?” he said.
The bench further asked whether any legal order existed to support the claim. When the lawyer cited constitutional bench decisions and requested that TTD be asked to respond, Justice Sundaresh quipped, “Will we now say that Tirupati laddus should also be indigenous?”
Concluding the matter, the bench said it was not inclined to consider the petition. At the petitioner’s request, the court granted permission to withdraw it with liberty to approach the High Court.
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