Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 12 (ANI): Amid the ongoing debate over the non-vegetarian food row, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Kadam on Saturday said that food habits are a matter of personal choice and should be left to an individual’s faith, while emphasising the need to respect regional cultures and traditions.
Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Ram Kadam said, “…Who eats what, when, is a personal decision of that individual. It should be left to their faith… Every state has its own culture and traditions. Respecting that culture and tradition is also necessary.”
Reiterating the freedom of choice regarding dietary habits, Kadam further added, “Every individual has complete freedom to choose what they eat or don’t eat…”
The row escalated after a police complaint filed by Congress leader Manash Sarkar against Dhirendra Shastri at Kolkata’s Bhawanipore Police Station, alleging that his remarks on Bengali identity, food practices and Durga Puja hurt sentiments and could create social disharmony.
Manash Sarkar told ANI, “He has made remarks about Bengalis. He called us hypocrites. It means that we do anything in the name of religion. He is telling us what we should or should not eat. He is asking why we eat non-vegetarian food, why we eat fish, mutton, and chicken. Is he going to decide what we should eat? I am also asking the BJP leaders here: Do you agree with him or not?”
The Congress leader demanded an apology from Dhirendra Shastri and sought police action against him.
West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya also maintained that consuming meat and fish is part of Bengali culture, adding another political dimension to the debate over food habits and regional traditions.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Keya Ghosh on Saturday defended West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s partaking in the traditional bhog of pulao and fish to Goddess Kali at the Kalighat temple as per the temple’s customs.
“Suvendu Adhikari is a devotee of Maa Kali. He visited Maa Kali before the election results and has done so after becoming Chief Minister as well,” Ghosh told ANI.
Highlighting different dietary habits across states, she said, “As for dietary habits, what Baba Bageshwar said is correct from his perspective… but our culture in West Bengal is different… His (Baba Bageshwar’s) point is that one should not take meat or fish inside the ‘mandap’, that one should not desecrate the mandap.” (ANI)
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