A political dispute has erupted following Sharad Pawar faction MP Supriya Sule’s remarks about her dietary choices, specifically her consumption of non-vegetarian food. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded to the situation, stating he would not be commenting and that the Varkari devotees would address the issue. The Varkari sect are followers of Pandurang and practice vegetarianism.
Supriya Sule stated that her non-vegetarian eating habits are acceptable to her deity, Pandurang. She mentioned that she avoids negativity because of her faith in Ramkrishna Hari. Due to her occasional consumption of non-vegetarian food and her honesty, she does not wear a Tulsi mala. She questioned why there was an issue with her eating habits if her deity accepted it. She also added that her parents, in-laws eat non-vegetarian food as well with their own money. She described a single occasion of her eating non-vegetarian food and how the discussion sparked. She highlighted that she eats non-vegetarian food openly, which is why she doesn’t wear a Tulsi mala.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane also gave his response on Supriya Sule’s statements. Rane questioned why Supriya only makes statements about Hinduism. He said that if she speaks about other religions, then she would understand the consequences. Repeatedly targeting the Hindu religion and its deities is not appropriate.