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‘Pork party?’ Shehzad Poonawalla's ‘other holy month’ jab at Rahul Gandhi amid Ayodhya-fish feast row
Shehzad Poonawalla's swipe at Congress and Rahul Gandhi comes amid reported participation of party's UP chief Ajay Rai in a “fish feast” in Ayodhya amid Sawan.
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Shehzad Poonawalla, who recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), continued his sharp attacks on Rahul Gandhi and the Congress on Monday, raising the reported serving of fish at a public event in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya during Sawan.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that mockery of Hindu faith, “abuse of Sanatan - that has become the Congress' DNA because of vote-bank politics - has been seen in many examples". He added that today, “all limits have been crossed.”
“The same Ayodhya, which is one of the holiest places, one of the most sacred places for Hindu faith, for Sanatan faith - the Congress party publicly displays fish and serves fish during the month of Sawan. Yes, during the most sacred month, when people consume sattvik food, fish is being publicly displayed and served there,” Poonawalla said on his Instagram video.
He was referring to a purported video of fish being cooked at a Nishad community event in Ayodhya in which state Congress chief Ajay Rai reportedly partook.
Poonawalla said nobody has a problem with what someone eats at home. “Food is a personal choice,” he said, asking if food is indeed a personal choice, ”why did the Congress make it a political issue in Bengal by claiming that a BJP government would not allow people to eat fish?
‘Will you attend pork during another sacred month’
Poonawalla then invoked Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 appearance with Tejashwi Yadav while preparing mutton in Champaran, and alleged that the Congress has repeatedly hurt Hindu sentiments.
“If there is nothing wrong with this display, would you attend a public feast featuring pork during the sacred month of another religion?”
He went on to accuse the Congress of making the “mockery of Hindu faith” and “abusing Sanatan” part of its political strategy.
“This has become the Congress’ DNA because of vote-bank politics.”
Taking the criticism further, Poonawalla took to X and asked Rahul Gandhi, “Congress attends Fish party in Sawan month in Ayodhya… So Will it attend Pork Party/Fest by someone else during other Holy Month?
"Daro Mat.. Answer,” he wrote.
In another post later, Poonawalla shared a screenshot of what appeared to be a mail he received from an individual who wrote to him about what he described as a “strange pattern” on Instagram.
The mail claimed “Instagram is auto-unfollowing” his account “every 24 hours”.
“Dear Shehzad I have started following you on Instagram after watching the podcast of you on the karan verma's channel with the rangrej guy However since a week or two, I am seeing a malfunction or a technical glitch. I follow you in the night and the next day in the morning, I have automatically unfollowed you,” the mail stated.
Same thing is happening with Mr Narendra Modi sir's profile, the mail further alleged, requesting Poonawalla to answer whether this is something done from his end or a technical glitch.
In what appeared to be an accusation on the social media platform, Poonawalla wrote, “Instagram ❎❎ Rahul Gram ✅✅” while sharing the screenshot on X.
Instagram has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
