Non-veg or jackfruit? BJP chief Nabin’s Andhra meal triggers row, Congress asks ‘what about Sawan?’

BJP chief's Andhra meal sparks political row

A video of BJP national president Nitin Nabin having lunch with party workers during his Andhra Pradesh visit has triggered a political controversy, with the Congress accusing him of eating non-vegetarian food during the Hindu holy month of Sawan. The Chhattisgarh Congress shared the video on X, claiming the leaders were seen consuming non-vegetarian food despite the BJP's emphasis on Sanatan Dharma and its associated values.

Nabin had posted the video on X, describing the meal as 'authentic Andhra food'. The Chhattisgarh Congress re-shared it with a caption that called him 'president of a cultured party in Sawan', along with a post that read: "Oh Rama! Sanatan on the lips, refinement in speeches... the rest of BJP's conduct is out in the open." The video was edited with an old Bollywood song and carried text about the president of the 'Sansari party' in the holy month of Saawan.

BJP's rebuttal: It was jackfruit curry

The BJP strongly rejected the allegation, saying the dish shown in the footage was actually a traditional raw jackfruit curry. In its response, the Chhattisgarh BJP X handle said: "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!"

The party also listed the dishes on the platter: tender jackfruit masala curry, dondakai palli fry, paneer curry, drumstick curry, soya chunks curry, and green gram batter dumplings.

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," he said, adding: "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."

Political reactions and context

The controversy drew reactions from several quarters. BJP media panellist Neha Joshi advised against prying into what is on others' plates, while the Uttar Pradesh BJYM handle accused the Samajwadi Party of spreading a fake agenda. BJP MLA Ram Pratap Verma accused the Opposition of spreading fake news.

The row echoes previous incidents concerning food during Sawan. In 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised opposition leaders for consuming mutton during Sawan, referring to Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad cooking champaran mutton. In 2025, Tejashwi Yadav mocked Union Minister Lalan Singh for hosting a mutton party during Sawan.