New Delhi: Visuals of BJP president Nitin Nabin having lunch alongside cadres in Andhra Pradesh have triggered a political controversy, with the Congress accusing him of eating non-vegetarian food during the ongoing Hindu holy month of Sawan.
Soon after Nabin posted a video of him having lunch with BJP workers during his Andhra Pradesh visit, describing it as ‘authentic Andhra food’, Chhattisgarh Congress re-shared the video with the caption: “Sanskari party ke president Sawaan mai.”
[president of a cultured party in Sawan]
“Oh my! ‘Sanatan’ on the lips, talk of values… yet the BJP’s actual conduct is there for all to see,” it added.
The post was accompanied with the 1954 song Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan.
Reacting to the controversy, Andhra Pradesh BJP chief P.V.N. Madhav told ThePrint that only vegetarian food was served to all party leaders and cadre during Nabin’s visit.
“Given that the president (Nabin) had just visited the Simhachalam temple and addressed all of us, we decided to serve only vegetarian food to all those who attended the meeting.
“Also, since Andhra food generally uses spices roasted and used, looking at the masala in the pictures, people would have inferred incorrectly. But we were very mindful of the auspicious shravana month (Sawan) observed in southern India as well, so only vegetarian meals were served to all,” he said.
Earlier today, I had the pleasure of enjoying authentic Andhra cuisine with my fellow party karyakartas.@BJP4Andhra pic.twitter.com/lKLx3KeufK
— Nitin Nabin (@NitinNabin) August 18, 2026
The Chhattisgarh BJP X handle, meanwhile, responded to the post by Congress, saying: “What you mistook for a non-vegetarian dish is actually a traditional spicy jackfruit curry – part of an authentic vegetarian meal from the Uttarandhra region, served on a banana leaf. Chhattisgarh Congress Committee, before peddling a fake narrative, you really ought to familiarise yourself a bit with South Indian cuisine and culture!”
BJP media panellist and Bharatiya Janta Yuva Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national vice-president in charge of Rajasthan, Neha Joshi, held out advice for those who had shared Nabin’s post: “Whether journalists or politicians, one should stop prying into what is on others’ plates!”
The Uttar Pradesh BJYM handle also reacted to the controversy. “During his visit to Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh BJP national president Nitin Nabin shared a traditional vegetarian meal with party workers. The Samajwadi Party is spreading a fake agenda even in this, in line with its mentality! The frustration of defeat is already starting to show.”
BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh’s Utraula, Ram Pratap Verma, also waded in, accusing the Opposition of spreading fake news.
In 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had criticised opposition leaders for ‘consuming mutton’ during the holy month of Sawan. “These people are cooking mutton after visiting a criminal’s house in Sawan. They make videos to mock the people of the country,” he said.
Modi was referring to a visit by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s residence in 2023 where the two had cooked champaran mutton.
Last year too, Lalu’s son Tejashwi Yadav had mocked Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan for hosting a ‘mutton party’ in Lakhisarai during the holy month. Yadav, speaking to ThePrint in 2025, had pointed out that while the BJP slammed him for eating fish a day before Sawan began, its ally Lalan Singh had in fact served supporters mutton during the holy month.
“His Cabinet colleague minister is feeding mutton to supporters during Sawan. Such a pious act, right? They’re feeding it in Sawan…forget about eating, but feeding it in Sawan? Your own Cabinet colleague. Now what will the Prime Minister say,” Tejashwi had told ThePrint.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: BJP’s Guna MLA refers to Sita as ‘maut ka saman’, says only men have died in wars