TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha, who is an actor and former BJP leader, stated that “non-vegetarian food should be banned across the country”, leading to sharp criticism from the Opposition in West Bengal as well as putting TMC leadership in an awkward position.
On Wednesday, he told mediapersons, “Beef has been banned in many parts of the country. I think that not only beef but non-vegetarian food in general should be banned in the country.”
BJP leader and state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay said, “I am welcoming what Shatrughan Sinha said but whether Mamata Banerjee is welcoming his stand or not, let her make it clear.”
Meanwhile, CPIM central committee leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “He said exactly what the RSS wants to hear. The TMC wants to make the RSS happy. Another TMC MP ‘Didi no 1’ (Rachana Banerjee, MP from Hoogly) after taking a bath at Kumbh praised the (Uttar Pradesh CM) Yogi Adityanath administration even after hundreds of people died in the Kumbh mela.”
TMC leaders also opposed Sinha’s statement. TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “Our leader Mamata Banerjee always says everybody should have freedom over their food habits, religion, and dress… It can’t be dictated and can’t be ruled.”
Deputy mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and TMC leader Atin Ghosh also said, “I love vegetarian food but I prefer non-veg dishes. I have the freedom to eat. Nobody can dictate that.”
Former TMC MP Jawhar Sarkar also said, “What he will eat is his food, it’s a matter of him. No decision has been made to ban non-veg food at all levels. Even if some handful of people have such a plan, it is impossible to do that. Because 78 percent of the people in the country eat non-veg food. It can’t be done. It is against the Constitution.”
Earlier in April last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Opposition leaders for allegedly consuming mutton during the holy month of Sawan. He said their actions displayed their “Mughal mentality”. Without naming anyone, he slammed leaders of Congress and the INDIA bloc and said, “These people are cooking mutton after visiting a criminal’s house in Sawan. They make videos to mock the people of the country.”
Taking a dig at this statement, both Mamata Banerjee and TMC number 2 Abhishek Banerjee had said, “Nobody can dictate what I would eat and what not. This is the BJP’s culture.”