New Delhi: Congress MP Pawan Khera on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the controversy surrounding a fish feast organised during a welcome programme for Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai in Ayodhya, alleging that such issues were being highlighted to divert attention from important matters such as paper leaks.
Speaking on the Ayodhya fish feast, Khera said, "Such issues are raised so that important issues like paper leaks are not raised. Today, when people think of Ayodhya, they are reminded of the theft of donations. Can 'Maach-Bhaat' make people forget about the theft of donations in Ayodhya? People in Nagpur think fish should not be consumed. Ajay Rai is a vegetarian, even if he were not, what is wrong with it?"
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced showing fish being prepared at a banquet hall in Ayodhya, where a welcome programme was organised for the Congress leader.
Several local religious figures objected to the food arrangements, as the programme was held during the holy month of Sawan.
Reacting to the controversy, BJP MP Ashok Bajpai accused the Congress of hurting religious sentiments by organising the feast in Ayodhya during Sawan.
Bajpai said that while people have the freedom to choose what they eat, Ayodhya holds special religious significance for Hindus and such an incident was bound to draw objections from local residents.
He further accused the Congress of practising appeasement politics and alleged that the incident reflected the party's "anti-Hindu character".
Meanwhile, Khera also defended the Congress's position on industrial monopolies while speaking about Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani's meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Speaking to ANI, Khera said, "What did we say in every attack? We clearly state that we are against monopolies. We are not against any industrialist, but we always say that if any one industrialist has a monopoly, it is not good for the country..."
Industrialist Gautam Adani met CM Shivakumar at the Karnataka Chief Minister's Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru on Sunday. There has been no comment as of yet from CM Shivakumar regarding the meeting.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.