JOIN USCM Siddaramaiah's visit to temple after eating meat kicks up row
Is it permissible to eat meat and enter a temple? The question assumes significance since reports surfaced on Monday that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the Dharmasthala temple after having meat for Lunch, during his visit to Mangaluru on Sunday.
Siddaramaiah reportedly visited the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara temple in Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district after consuming a meal of fish fry and country chicken, according to the report in Times of India.
Following the incident, Social media is abuzz on the issue, from members of the opposition, including Nandan Mallya Ullal who alleged that his actions mocked at Hindu customs.
The @CMofKarnataka @siddaramaiah mocks at hindu customs again. Enters Shree Dharmasthala temple after having Non Veg for lunch.
— Nandan Mallya Ullal (@nandanmallya) October 23, 2017
Reacting to the criticism and on the much talked about lunch, the Karnataka Chief Minister on Monday dismissed the comments and tweeted “Having failed to govern, BJP is worried about my choice of food before I go to a temple!.”
Having failed to govern, @BJP4Karnataka is worried about my choice of food before I go to a temple! Have they learnt nothing from Basavanna?
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 24, 2017
Chief Minister also went ahead and questioned which God had issued a fiat against consuming meat. “Even Bedara Kannappa had offered meat to Lord Shiva,” he said.
Other members of his party including, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Working President, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, jumped on Twitter to defend Siddaramaiah.
What food we eat doesn’t matter what good actions we take does. Preaching #Hindutva & watching blue films in VidhanSabha , who did that? https://t.co/sEEhCY5oHD
— Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) October 24, 2017
Reacting to the news, priests also weighed in on the issue and seemed to put the chief minister in the clear.
Krishna Bhat, a priest from Puttur town told TOI, “There is no mention [in the scriptures] of restrictions on people who have consumed non-vegetarian food to have a darshan of the deity.” But he also added that in order to perform certain services at a temple, devotees are expected to follow Hindu scriptural laws. “For example, a devotee offering Ashlesha Bali ( a prayer) has to be on a purely vegetarian diet for two days previously.”
Veeru Shetty, a personal assistant to Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala temple chaplain D Veerendra Heggade, said, “We do not have any say in this matter.” “Worship is a personal relationship between the devotee and God. We do not check what a person has consumed before entering the temple to pay obeisance,” he added.