‘Non-veg food should be banned in India’: TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha
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TMC MP and veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha has stirred controversy by advocating a nationwide ban on non-vegetarian food, a statement that has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition in West Bengal and put the TMC leadership in a difficult position.
Speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, Sinha remarked, “Beef has already been banned in many parts of the country. I believe that not just beef, but all non-vegetarian food should be banned across India.”
His comment has sparked political reactions across party lines. BJP leader and West Bengal general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay welcomed the statement but demanded a response from the TMC leadership. “I appreciate what Shatrughan Sinha has said, but does Mamata Banerjee support this stand? Let her clarify.”
CPIM central committee leader Sujan Chakraborty strongly opposed Sinha’s remark, alleging it aligns with the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “He said exactly what the RSS wants to hear. The TMC is trying to please the RSS. Another TMC MP, ‘Didi No. 1’ Rachana Banerjee, recently praised Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s administration after taking a bath at the Kumbh Mela, even though hundreds of people died there.”
TMC leaders were quick to distance themselves from Sinha’s statement, reaffirming the party’s stance on personal freedom. TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “Our leader Mamata Banerjee has always maintained that food habits, religion, and dress are personal choices. They cannot be dictated or imposed.”
Kolkata’s Deputy Mayor and TMC leader Atin Ghosh echoed the sentiment, saying, “I personally love vegetarian food, but I also enjoy non-veg dishes. What I eat is my choice, and no one can dictate that.”
Former TMC MP Jawhar Sarkar also rejected the idea, calling it impractical and unconstitutional. “What he eats is his personal choice, but banning non-veg food at a national level is impossible. Around 78% of the Indian population consumes non-veg food. Such a move would be unconstitutional.”
Sinha’s remarks come nearly a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized Opposition leaders for allegedly consuming mutton during the holy month of Sawan, accusing them of displaying a “Mughal mentality.” Without naming anyone, Modi had said, “These people are cooking mutton after visiting a criminal’s house in Sawan. They make videos to mock the people of the country.”
Both Mamata Banerjee and TMC’s second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee had strongly countered Modi’s remarks at the time, asserting, “Nobody can dictate what I eat or don’t eat. This is the BJP’s culture, not ours.”
As debates over food choices continue to surface in political discourse, Sinha’s comments have reignited tensions, drawing strong reactions from all sides.