PATNA: Union textiles minister and Begusarai MP Giriraj Singh’s inauguration of a KFC outlet at Har Har Mahadev Chowk in Begusarai has triggered a debate on social media, with users drawing attention to his earlier appeals to Hindus to consume only jhatka meat and avoid halal meat.Singh attended the inauguration as the chief guest and participated in the opening ceremony of the outlet on September 17. A video of the event circulating on social media went viral on Tuesday and shows him enquiring about the products available and being shown how to place an order using the self-ordering kiosk.The event drew reactions from social media users who recalled Singh’s earlier statements on halal meat. Some questioned whether the outlet would remain closed during Navratri and on Tuesdays, while another user said only paneer items would be ordered from the outlet.Singh has repeatedly advocated the consumption of jhatka meat. In August last year, he visited a jhatka meat shop in Madhubani and urged Hindus to consume only jhatka meat.In December 2023, Singh called upon Hindus to stop consuming halal meat and instead follow what he described as their own religious dietary traditions.Speaking in Begusarai at the time, Singh said he admired Muslims for adhering to halal dietary practices and urged Hindus to similarly follow their own traditions.“If you don’t get jhatka meat, then don’t consume,” he had said.The KFC inauguration has since become a talking point online, with users linking Singh’s presence at the fast-food outlet to his earlier public statements on meat consumption.
