Shatrughan ‘Shotgun’ Sinha misfires with support for ‘non-veg ban across country’

While Sinha stressed that this was his idiosyncratic opinion, the backlash was swift, with the TMC excessively distancing itself from Sinha’s remarks fixed their import successful West Bengal, a authorities that prides itself connected its non-vegetarian cuisine.

Plus, the TMC has built its authorities arsenic a opposition to the BJP, with its apical leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee criticising the BJP successful the past for “trying to dictate nutrient habits”.

Asked astir Sinha’s remarks, TMC authorities wide caput Kunal Ghosh said, “Our person Mamata Banerjee ever says everybody should person state regarding their nutrient habits, religion and dress. Why should we participate into that? It can’t beryllium dictated and it can’t beryllium ruled upon. If anyone has said something, it is their idiosyncratic opinion. We can’t remark connected that.”

Kolkata Deputy Mayor and TMC person Atin Ghosh said, “I emotion vegetarian nutrient but I similar non-veg dishes. I person state to devour what I want. Nobody tin dictate it.”

Former TMC MP Jawhar Sircar said, “What Sinha eats is up to him. There is nary determination to prohibition non-veg nutrient astatine each levels. Even if a fistful of radical privation it, it is intolerable due to the fact that a ample bulk of radical successful the state devour non-veg food… It would beryllium against the Constitution.”

Trying to enactment the TMC successful a spot, BJP person and authorities wide caput Jagannath Chattopadhyay said: “I invited what Shatrughan Sinha said, but whether Mamata Banerjee welcomes it oregon not, fto Mamata Banerjee marque it clear.”

CPI(M) Central Committee person Sujan Chakraborty said Sinha’s remarks were different impervious of the “understanding” betwixt the TMC and BJP. “Shatrughan Sinha said precisely what the RSS wanted to hear. The TMC fundamentally wants to marque the RSS happy.”

Chakraborty besides pointed to the sojourn to the Kumbh Mela by TMC MP Rachana Banerjee, and her praise for the Yogi Adityanath medication aft taking a dip, ignoring the deaths determination successful a stampede. “The TMC is saying what the RSS wants to say,” helium said.

In April past year, addressing a rally for the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had slammed Opposition leaders for eating non-vegetarian during the “holy” period of Sawan – a remark ostensibly aimed astatine the RJD’s Lalu Prasad and his lad Tejashwi, and the Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, for videos successful which they were seen enjoying mutton. This had wounded people’s sentiments, Modi said.

The TMC’s apical leadership, including Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee, had criticised Modi’s remarks then, saying: “Nobody tin dictate what I eat. This is the BJP’s culture.”

Sinha, who joined the Congress successful 2019 aft years spent successful the BJP, switched to the TMC successful 2022. Soon after, the TMC had fixed him a summons for the bypoll for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, which has a ample colonisation of Biharis. Sinha was re-elected from determination successful the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

There was immoderate resentment successful the TMC implicit the enactment choosing 3 “non-Bengalis” for Lok Sabha polls, including Sinha, different erstwhile BJP person Kirti Azad and ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan. However, determination was nary unfastened look of opposition.

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