BJP Keralam president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday defended Governor Om Prakash Mathur over reports that the Lok Bhavan kitchen would serve only vegetarian food, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
Chandrasekhar said the occupant of a house had the right to decide what food was served based on their culture and preferences. He also accused the Congress of using the issue to divert attention from pressing public concerns.
In a post on X, Chandrasekhar asked whether the Congress could similarly insist on pork being served at a Muslim Malayali's house.
"Now, can the Congress party insist that they go to a Muslim Malayalee's house and ask for pork? It is the prerogative of the occupant of a house, in this case the @KeralaGovernor, who occupies Lok Bhavan, to decide the food served according to his culture and his preferences," he said.
Chandrasekhar alleged that the Congress was avoiding discussions on its five guarantees and the 'Puthu Yuga Keralam' promise, as well as problems faced by the state's youth and families affected by medicine shortages.
He said the party was instead focusing on the new Governor's food habits and alleged that this was part of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "fraudulent politics".
He also accused the Congress of becoming a group of people talking "nonsensical stuff" and asked what people had gained after 150 days of the VD Satheesan-led government.
Mathur, who was sworn in as Keralam's 29th Governor on Friday, faced criticism from the ruling Congress and opposition CPI(M) over reports that he had directed that non-vegetarian food should not be prepared or served in the Lok Bhavan kitchen.
The Congress and CPI(M) accused the Governor of promoting the Sangh Parivar's agenda. Congress leader and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal alleged that the decision had gone too far and that the Governor had overstepped his authority by directing the kitchen to prepare only vegetarian food.
Sources in the Governor's office told PTI that Mathur was a strict vegetarian and had ordered the change for that reason. They clarified that there was no restriction on the food choices of Lok Bhavan employees.
The controversy centres on the reported change in the Lok Bhavan kitchen, with Chandrasekhar defending the Governor's preference and the Congress and CPI(M) criticising the move.
- Ends