Mamata Banerjee claims fish is not eaten in BJP-ruled states: Read how TMC’s claims of BJP banning non-vegetarian food are completely baseless and blatant lies

In a rally in Purulia on March 29, 2026, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that “fish is not eaten in BJP-ruled states” and warned that if the BJP comes to power in Bengal, people “won’t be able to eat meat or eggs,” saying that a BJP government in Bengal will ban non-vegetarian food. The CM’s comments are part of a larger TMC campaign against the BJP, focusing on fish. Facing massive anti-incumbency after 15 years in power, the Trinamool Congress has been alleging in election rallies that the BJP is “anti-Bengali” and if it comes to power in the state, it will ban fish. TMC leaders have made it part of their election campaign, attempting to instil fear over the issue. #WATCH | Purulia: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says, "Fish is not eaten in BJP-ruled states. If BJP comes, you won't be able to eat meat or eggs. BJP is one-sided, they don't believe in any religion… These people incite riots. They come to power by inciting riots,… pic.twitter.com/f66hMHmXvV— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2026 Mamata Banerjee’s claim that “fish is not eaten in BJP-ruled states” is completely baseless and false. It is a clear distortion of facts and amounts to political fear-mongering designed to stoke anxiety over cultural and dietary habits in the poll-bound state. Data from BJP-ruled states debunks the claim India has 14 states currently under BJP governance or BJP-led alliances, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Fish consumption and non-vegetarian diets remain widespread and unaffected by the ruling party in these states. BJP is in power in several states in the eastern parts of the country, where the majority of people consume meat and fish, and it has not changed after the BJP came to power in those states. In fact, in terms of the share of the non-vegetarian population, several BJP-ruled states rank among the highest in the country. BJP-ruled Tripura tops the list with 99.35% of the population consuming fish, which is the highest proportion nationally. Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh, three BJP-ruled states, also feature among the top fish-consuming states, with the northeastern and Eastern regions showing over 90% fish consumption in many areas. Daily fish consumption rates are notably high in states like Manipur and Assam. Every year during Bohag Bihu, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma posts images of people gifting him fish as part of the tradition. On the Western side, Goa, with a BJP government, has over 90% fish consumers, ranking second in daily fish intake nationally. Even in states with relatively lower overall fish consumption due to cultural or geographical factors, like Rajasthan or parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, fish is freely available, consumed, and not banned. Gujarat, for instance, is a major exporter of Hilsa fish, a Bengali staple, supplying significant quantities to West Bengal and other markets. Maharashtra and Odisha, both BJP-led, are major fish-producing and consuming states with thriving seafood industries and no restrictions on consumption.⁠ National surveys, including NFHS data, confirm that non-vegetarian consumption (including fish, chicken, and eggs) exceeds 50-70% in many BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, with no statewide bans on fish or everyday non-veg items. Temporary, location-specific restrictions on meat sales near sensitive areas during festivals have occurred in isolated cases, but there are no statewide bans on any non-vegetarian food in any state. West Bengal BJP’s Clarification The West Bengal unit of the BJP has repeatedly and categorically rejected any notion of a non-veg ban. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya stated, “People in Bengal will eat whatever they want to eat. Bengal will have its fish and meat.” He emphasised that the party opposes only the open sale of beef in certain contexts but fully supports Bengali food culture. He maintained that the BJP’s stand was limited to opposing the open sale of beef. “Only that stuff you sell in the open will not be allowed by the BJP,” he said. 'Fishy' affair! BJP candidate Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee went out campaigning with a fish in hand to counter TMC's charge that BJP will ban fish/non-veg if they came to power in Bengal pic.twitter.com/opgjEWT7JD— Indrajit Kundu | ইন্দ্রজিৎ (@iindrojit) March 22, 2026 In a direct counter to TMC propaganda, BJP candidate Dr. Sharadwat Mukherjee from Bidhannagar campaigned door-to-door holding a large fish, declaring, “Lies are being spread against us. We will eat both fish and meat.” Senior leaders have publicly eaten fish in media appearances to underscore the point and to counter TMC’s baseless fearmongering. Food habits are cultural – They do not change with ruling parties The notion that if the BJP comes to power in a state, the state becomes vegetarian is completely baseless. Dietary preferences in India are deeply rooted in regional culture, availability of resources, and personal choices, they are not dictated by the party in power. West Bengal itself has seen multiple governments over decades, yet fish remains a daily staple for the vast majority, with over 98% of Bengalis identifying as non-vegetarian. The same holds true across BJP-ruled states and states ruled by non-NDA parties. Northeastern BJP governments have not altered the fish-heavy diets of local communities, coastal states like Goa continue their seafood traditions, and other states similarly maintain their existing patterns. Claims that a change in ruling party would suddenly prohibit fish or eggs ignore decades of evidence and are designed purely for electoral polarisation. TMC and Mamata Banerjee’s repeated assertions, linking BJP rule to a ban on fish, meat, and eggs, are therefore nothing but classic fear-mongering. With West Bengal heading into assembly elections, such rhetoric distracts from governance issues while attempting to portray the BJP as culturally alien. The facts show otherwise, fish is very much eaten, and thriving, in BJP-ruled states, and West Bengal’s food habits will remain unchanged regardless of who forms the next government.