In a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Lalu Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday accused opposition leaders of demonstrating a 'Mughal mindset' and "teasing" the people of the country by consuming non-vegetarian food in the holy month of Sawan and posting a video of it online.
Without naming anyone, Modi said individuals have the freedom to choose their dietary preferences, but the opposition leaders' intention behind their actions matter significantly.
Addressing a public rally in support for Union minister Jitendra Singh, who is fighting for a third term from Udhampur, Modi said eating non-vegetarian food during Navratri and Sawan and highlighting it hurt the feelings of people.
"These people will resort to abusing me and targeting me for saying this. But when it is beyond the point of tolerance, it is my duty in a democracy to tell the right things to people. That is my job. I am fulfilling my duty," he said.
These leaders are deliberately indulging in such acts "so that a big section of people gets annoyed", he said.
"The law does not stop anyone from eating anything, and neither does Modi. All are free to have vegetarian and non-vegetarian food whenever they want but the motive of these leaders was different."
"The Mughals used to get satisfaction by vandalising temples, not by defeating kings. They used to derive pleasure out of it. Likewise, they (INDIA bloc leaders) tease the people of the country by releasing such videos in the month of Sawan and trying to consolidate their vote banks," the prime minister said.
He was apparently referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's house last September, when they also cooked mutton together and the Congress leader also shared a video on YouTube.
"In the month of Sawan, they went to the house of a person who was handed a punishment by a court and is on bail and cherished the taste of mutton. They made a video of it to tease the people of the country," he said.
"During the month of Sawan, a person who was convicted, who is on bail, someone went to this kind of a criminal.... During Sawan, they enjoyed eating mutton. Not just this, they made a video and worked to tease the people of India," he said.
Modi accused these leaders of deliberately indulging in such acts "so that a big section of people gets annoyed".
"They have a Mughal mindset. They do not know that when the public gives a fitting reply, the princes of big dynasties get sidelined. Dynastic parties and corruption-ridden people should not be given opportunities," he said.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also recently released a video of him enjoying fish curry in a chopper. After he was criticised, he clarified the video was shot on April 8, a day before Navratri began.
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