Visuals of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin sharing a traditional meal with party workers in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, have sparked a political controversy on social media, as reported in the Delhi Confidential column. Opposition parties, led by state units of the Congress, shared video snippets of the luncheon and alleged that the BJP chief consumed non-vegetarian food during the holy Hindu month of Sawan (Shravan).
The BJP strongly rejected the claims, labeling the controversy a baseless attempt by the opposition to manufacture a “fake narrative.”
Opposition Mounts Attack Over Sawan Dietary Practices
The controversy began shortly after Nabin posted a video on social media showing him sitting with party cadres and enjoying local dishes served on traditional banana leaves. Opposition social media handles quickly amplified the footage to question the ruling party’s cultural stance.
The Chhattisgarh Congress re-shared the clip with satirical captions and vintage songs, claiming that the meal featured meat dishes despite the ongoing observance of Sawan.
Other regional opposition accounts, including Samajwadi Party handles, joined the criticism and accused the BJP leadership of dietary hypocrisy.
BJP Identifies Dish as Traditional Raw Jackfruit Curry
The BJP moved swiftly across its national and state communication units to counter the claims and explain the culinary context of the meal. The Chhattisgarh BJP officially clarified that the item mistaken for non-vegetarian food was actually a spicy raw jackfruit curry (Panasa curry), a celebrated traditional vegetarian specialty of the Uttarandhra region.
Party spokespersons slammed the opposition for mistaking roasted spice blends and rich regional gravies for meat, urging political opponents to educate themselves on diverse South Indian vegetarian traditions before making public allegations.
State Unit Highlights Simhachalam Temple Visit and Strict Menu
Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders dismissed the opposition narrative entirely, highlighting that all food served during the organizational visit followed strict vegetarian standards.
State BJP chief P.V.N. Madhav pointed out that Nabin had visited the revered Simhachalam temple right before the party meeting.
He stressed that organizers observed the sanctity of the Shravana month diligently, ensuring that every dish on the menu was strictly plant-based. Party leaders advised critics to cease prying into private plates and focus on substantive political discussions instead.
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