Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has faced criticism on social media after a video showing him eating what was described as a chicken roll surfaced during the ongoing Pitru Paksha on Tuesday.
The footage emerged as Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several INDIA bloc MPs took part in the ‘Save Democracy March’ in Delhi. The Opposition leaders later continued their protest at Akashvani Bhavan against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Gandhi had remained at the protest site for nearly five hours. The video allegedly shows him eating a roll ordered from Khan Chacha, while some of his associates were also seen consuming rolls.
Social media users question food choice
The video prompted questions from critics who objected to Gandhi consuming non-vegetarian food during Pitru Paksha, a period when many Hindus traditionally follow dietary restrictions as part of rituals for ancestors.
A social media user named Fuhrer, while reposting the video, wrote, “It’s Tuesday, month is Pitrapaksha,” and accused the Gandhi family of being “Hindudrohi”. Another user claimed that the roll packaging displayed a non-vegetarian AGMARK indication and questioned those who “call himself Hindu” while eating non-vegetarian food during Pitru Paksha.
Other users defended Gandhi, maintaining that food preferences are a personal matter and that many Indians eat non-vegetarian food regardless of religious observances.
Gandhi continues criticism of Election Commission
While the controversy over the video continued, Gandhi used the protest to intensify his allegations against the Election Commission and the government. He said that “democracy itself has ended” and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar of “destroying the electoral process”.
Gandhi said nearly 300 Opposition MPs wanted to meet the Election Commission to raise questions about electoral rolls in West Bengal, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
He also challenged the restrictions placed on the protest by police, asking, “Where in this country can I sit?” Gandhi said he was prepared to move if the authorities identified a place where he could peacefully continue his demonstration.
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