Hubballi: The Federation of All-India Vegetarian Organisations, Communities & Religion has opposed the state government’s budget announcement of providing eggs to the students of Anganwadi and primary schools.
Vishwa Prani Kalyana Mandal President Dayananda Swamiji has said that egg is not a vegetarian food. Schools and Angawadis are holy centres wherein students from all communities gather to to learn. In such places, the government should not give non-vegetarian food. This will be against the religious practices of many communities and religions, he said.
The State government must withdraw the decision within a week or the federation would be forced to intensify their protest and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be held responsible if the protest turned violent and communal, he warned.
The government should provide “common food”, which is acceptable to all, he said, and added, “If the chief minister, who has in the past, shown his inclination towards non-vegetarian food, makes this as his prestige issue and presses for supplying eggs in schools, then we will be forced to make a demand for separate government Anganwadis and schools for vegetarians.
Alleging that the government was dividing the society on the basis of food habits, which was uncalled for, he charged that the chief minister had introduced supplying of eggs in schools after succumbing to the pressure of “egg lobby”, which might have offered party funds for the Congress, he said.
Even the previous governments had announced the scheme of providing eggs in schools, but had to withdraw after opposition from several groups, he said.
He however welcomed the state government’s decision of increasing the supply of milk to students in schools from thrice a week to five days a week.