A political controversy erupted after opposition parties accused BJP national president Nitin Nabin of consuming non-vegetarian food during the holy month of Sawan, a claim the Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly denied.
The row began when the Samajwadi Party Media Cell shared a video on X showing Nabin enjoying traditional Andhra cuisine with party workers during his visit to Andhra Pradesh. The party alleged that the BJP leader had consumed meat during Sawan and questioned whether such conduct was in line with the party’s stated commitment to Indian culture and traditions.
The Congress' Chhattisgarh unit also shared the video, taking a swipe at the BJP and accusing it of preaching cultural values while allegedly acting otherwise.
The BJP responded sharply on Thursday, with its Uttar Pradesh unit dismissing the allegations as misinformation. Sharing screenshots of the opposition posts, the party challenged its rivals to produce evidence supporting their claims or issue a public apology.
According to the BJP, Nabin was served only vegetarian dishes during his Andhra Pradesh visit. The party said the meal included paneer curry, munjakala pulusu, dondakai palli fry, soya chunks curry, panasamukkalu masala curry and pesara ponukulu.
The BJP further claimed that some opposition leaders had mistaken traditional South Indian vegetarian dishes for non-vegetarian food without verifying the facts. It argued that the controversy exposed a lack of understanding of regional cuisine and accused the opposition of attempting to spread false information for political gains.
