Tensions are escalating in Bihar's pre-election landscape, with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launching a sharp attack on the BJP over what he calls blatant hypocrisy in food choices during the holy month of Sawan. Sharing a video from an NDA meeting held at the Assembly in Patna on Monday, Yadav alleged double standards in the BJP’s narrative around religious observance and diet.
The video, posted on social media by Yadav, shows a pot labelled “Mutton Roganjosh” being served in the Assembly dining area. The incident sparked controversy as it took place on a Sawan Somvaar, considered especially sacred by a section of Hindus, many of whom abstain from non-vegetarian food during the month.
Tejashwi Yadav, who has previously been criticised by the BJP for eating meat during religious periods, accused the ruling party of selective outrage.
“With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s blessing, BJP’s ministers and MLAs are feasting over mutton on Sawan Somvar,” Yadav posted on X.
He further accused the BJP of politicising food habits when it suits them, saying,
“We have no problem with anyone’s food habits, but the Prime Minister is so selective. He is fine with his party leaders eating mutton, but when it comes to Opposition leaders, who do not eat meat during Sawan, he does not hesitate to use lies to turn their food habits into a national issue.”
Yadav also claimed that three BJP cabinet ministers in Bihar consume 1 kg of mutton daily while simultaneously delivering long lectures on Sanatan Dharma.
Responding to the controversy, BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma dismissed Yadav’s accusations, questioning the basis of the claims. “Should he be watching the food counter or working for Bihar's development?” Sharma said, according to The Times of India. “Maybe the caterer served both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. What’s the fuss?” he added.
This isn’t the first time Tejashwi Yadav has brought food politics into the campaign narrative. Just last week, he attacked the NDA and Prime Minister Modi over reports of Union Minister and JDU leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, hosting mutton feast.
“We have been called anti-Sanatan by them. The Prime Minister is coming to Bihar tomorrow and will thank Lalan Singh from the stage for arranging a mutton party for his supporters. He is doing a charitable deed,” Yadav said sarcastically.
The issue recalls a similar controversy from 2023, when visuals of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharing a mutton meal with RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav during Sawan sparked backlash from BJP leaders.
At the time, Prime Minister Modi had criticised the INDIA alliance, accusing them of showing disrespect for cultural sentiments. “During Sawan, they are going to the house of a convicted man and cooking mutton. Not only that, they are also posting videos and teasing the people of the country,” Modi had said. He went further, likening the act to historical invasions, “When the Mughals attacked, they were not satisfied with defeating the king alone. They destroyed temples. In the same way, by uploading the video in the month of Sawan, they (the Opposition) are exhibiting Mughal-era thinking, attempting to tease people and fortify their vote bank.”
The BJP had also attempted to corner Yadav during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign by sharing a video that allegedly showed him eating fish during Navratri. Yadav clarified that the video had been recorded a day before the holy festival began and accused the BJP of distorting facts for political gain.
