Kerala Governor Om Prakash Mathur's decision, after assuming office, to make the Lok Bhavan kitchen "vegetarian-only" has sparked a row in the state. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal has accused him of pushing the Sangh Parivar's agenda.
Reportedly, Mathur directed that the Lok Bhavan kitchen should not prepare or serve non-vegetarian food. PTI reported that the direction came on Thursday, a day before he assumed office.
Reacting to the decision, AICC general secretary Venugopal said it affects individual freedom of choice in food.
Kerala has a diverse food culture and abundant fish resources as a coastal state, Venugopal said, adding that people had freedom to choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
"Any attempt to restrict the food habits Keralites are accustomed to or dictate what they should eat from now on cannot be accepted," the Congress leader was quoted by PTI.
Mathur was sworn in as the 29th governor of Kerala.
Venugopal argued that restrictions that "intrude" into people's food choices and seek to erase Kerala's traditional way of life violate fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
"This is a continuation of the unconstitutional interests of the Sangh Parivar," he added. "Let us eat what we want to eat."
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala criticised the decision. He said it was wrong to decide what others should eat, asserting that food choices were a matter of personal freedom.
While acknowledging Mathur's right to follow a vegetarian diet, Venugopal said the governor should not impose his personal preferences on the Lok Bhavan kitchen, where employees include Keralites.
CPI(M) state secretary M. V. Govindan said that India was a country where people had the democratic right to choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
Meanwhile, PTI quoted Lok Bhavan sources saying that Mathur was a strict vegetarian and directed that non-vegetarian food not be prepared in the kitchen where his meals are cooked.
Also, the kitchen's food is served only to the governor and a few members of his personal staff. No restrictions are imposed on employees, who brought from home or ate outside, sources said.
