Keralam’s newly appointed Governor Om Prakash Mathur faced criticism on his first day in office on Friday after reports emerged that he had directed the Lok Bhavan kitchen to serve only vegetarian food.
The ruling Congress and opposition CPI(M) accused him of promoting the Sangh Parivar’s agenda, with Congress leader KC Venugopal alleging that the governor had overstepped his authority.
The controversy surfaced shortly after Mathur was sworn in as the 29th Governor of Keralam. According to media reports, he had instructed the Lok Bhavan kitchen not to prepare or serve non-vegetarian food.
Sources in the governor’s office said Mathur was a strict vegetarian and had ordered the change because of his personal dietary preferences. They clarified that no restrictions had been imposed on Lok Bhavan employees’ food choices.
Congress Accuses Governor Of Pushing Sangh Parivar Agenda
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal criticised the reported directive, alleging the governor had gone too far by restricting non-vegetarian food preparation in the kitchen.
Pointing to Keralam’s diverse culinary traditions and abundant fish resources as a coastal state, Venugopal said people were free to choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets.
“Any attempt to restrict the food habits Keralites are accustomed to or dictate what they should eat from now on cannot be accepted,” he said.
Venugopal argued that restrictions that “intrude” into people’s food choices and attempt to erase Keralam’s traditional way of life violated fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
He accused the governor of using a constitutional position, which required him to safeguard people’s freedom to decide what to eat and how to live, to impose his personal dietary preferences on others.
The Congress leader further alleged that Mathur was using his authority to “curtail” individual freedom.
“This is a continuation of the unconstitutional interests of the Sangh Parivar. This is the first step towards implementing the saffron agenda of the Sangh Parivar in Keralam,” the Alappuzha Lok Sabha MP alleged.
While acknowledging Mathur’s right to follow a vegetarian diet, Venugopal said imposing those preferences on the Lok Bhavan kitchen was unacceptable, particularly when its staff included people from Keralam.
He maintained that food choices were an individual right and called on the governor to withdraw any decision that restricted them. Venugopal also reminded Mathur that his constitutional responsibilities included protecting people’s freedom to cook and eat food of their choice.
Ramesh Chennithala, CPI(M) Also Criticise Reported Directive
Echoing Venugopal’s views, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said no one should dictate what others eat, describing dietary preferences as a matter of personal freedom.
Speaking to reporters, he said decisions about clothing, language and food all fell within the realm of individual choice.
“Let us eat what we want to eat,” he said.
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan also criticised the reported move while addressing a press conference, saying people in India had the democratic right to choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
“Attempts are being made to take away this right. Behind these efforts is the Sangh Parivar agenda of communal polarisation,” he alleged.
Govindan further accused those behind such efforts of attempting to turn food into a “communal weapon”.
Governor’s Office Says Restrictions Apply Only To His Meals
Clarifying the reported decision, sources in the Lok Bhavan said Mathur was a strict vegetarian and had directed that non-vegetarian food not be prepared in the kitchen where his meals were cooked.
The sources said food prepared in the kitchen was served only to the governor and a few members of his personal staff. Other employees either brought meals from home or ate outside the premises, they added.
They reiterated that no restrictions had been placed on employees’ food choices.
According to Lok Bhavan sources, fish and meat dishes had been prepared in the kitchen during the tenures of some previous governors.
Mathur took the oath as the 29th Governor of Keralam at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan on Friday morning. Kerala High Court Chief Justice Soumen Sen administered the oath of office.
He succeeds Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who has been appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu.
(With inputs from PTI)
