Udupi: Udupi district incharge minister Pramod Madhwaraj seems to have an uncanny knack of triggering controversies — this time with a statement that Lord Rama and Lord Krishna were non-vegetarians.
The minister, known for his close association with the famous Udupi Sri Krishna Math, was participating in Valmiki Jayanti celebrations on Saturday when he made such a controversial statement which could attract the ire of right wing organisations.
“Today there are discussions in the country about eating habits, but I would like to tell that Lord Rama, a Kshatriya, was a non-vegetarian and so was Lord Krishna. There can be discussions about this by scholars. I have raised this issue purposely so that there can be discussions. Caste is not important for achievement. Sage Veda Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata, was the son of an unwed fisherwoman. In today’s world, people would have ostracized them,” he added.
Local leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party criticized minister for airing such statements. “It is an unnecessary statement. We consider it childish and cheap on the part of Mr Pramod Madhwaraj,” former president of the local unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and state executive committee member Uday Kumar Shetty said, adding “he has made this statement without proper knowledge. He is neither a scholar nor an expert on religious texts. Such statements hurt the sentiments of people.”
