Vegetarian Rule at Lok Bhavan Sparks Congress Protest in Kerala
New Delhi, October 24: A decision to make the kitchen at Lok Bhavan in Kerala strictly vegetarian has drawn criticism from the Congress, which says the move is part of a wider push to advance the Sangh Parivar agenda in the state.
JB Mather, a Rajya Sabha MP from the party, said Congress would act to stop such a push. She stated that citizens are free to decide their diet, religion, language and dressing style, and that these are deeply personal matters. Every person, she said, has the freedom to choose what to eat, wear, speak or believe.
The situation, she argued, is different for people holding high constitutional posts. Mather said that enforcing rules such as making Lok Bhavan fully vegetarian is not right. If the Governor wants to follow a vegetarian diet, that is his preference, and if others want to eat something else, that is also their preference.
Mather said that imposing such conditions is, in reality, an attempt to force one ideology upon the state. She warned that this is a danger and must be curbed at the very start. She reiterated that Congress intends to halt the attempt to impose the Sangh Parivar agenda on Kerala right from the beginning.
She noted that Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, leader Ramesh Chennithala and leaders of other parties had voiced serious objections. According to her, the issue concerns more than one party, and the party does not want anyone to impose the Sangh Parivar agenda on Kerala's society.
On the protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Mather said the party is trying to tackle a major challenge affecting India's democracy and especially the fairness of its election system. With doubts being raised over the honesty of the Chief Election Commissioner, she said the party is calling for his resignation and sees it as a fight it must continue.
Mather said Congress is working with the INDIA bloc and other opposition parties that hold that democracy must be protected. She said protests are ongoing and constitutional tools are also being used.
Asked about the appeal from trade associations to Rahul Gandhi to postpone the November 1 rally until after Diwali, she said concerns raised by any group would be looked into and not ignored. She added that the entire matter should be seen from a broader viewpoint.