The controversy followed a welcome programme organised for Rai on Sunday in the Tarun area of Ayodhya district. Members of the Nishad community hosted the gathering, where footage later circulated showing fish being prepared at the venue. The images prompted BJP leaders and some religious figures in Ayodhya to accuse the Congress of disregarding Hindu traditions associated with Sawan.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath escalated the dispute on Monday, accusing Rai and the Congress of displaying contradictory behaviour by visiting religious sites and then attending a programme where fish was prepared. Rai had earlier offered prayers at Hanumangarhi and the Ram temple before travelling to Tarun, about 30 to 40 kilometres from the main temple area.
Adityanath said political leaders should respect the religious character and sensitivities associated with Ayodhya, particularly during Sawan. He alleged that the episode exposed what he described as the Congress leadership’s inconsistent approach towards religious traditions.
Rai rejected the allegation that he had eaten fish or participated in the meal. He challenged the chief minister and BJP leaders to produce photographic or video evidence showing him consuming fish. Rai said he would be prepared to resign as Uttar Pradesh Congress president if such proof were produced.
The Congress leader maintained that the programme had been organised by members of the Nishad community and that he was not responsible for its food arrangements. Congress leaders also said Rai is vegetarian and questioned attempts to link his attendance at the gathering with the food prepared for participants.
Ram Nihal Nishad, who organised the programme after joining the Congress, defended the serving of fish by citing the community’s traditional association with fishing. He argued that fishing, selling fish and consuming it were connected with the livelihood and cultural practices of many Nishad families.
The dispute has consequently moved beyond Rai’s personal dietary habits to competing claims involving religious observance and community identity. Many Hindus abstain from meat and fish during Sawan, which is regarded as an auspicious period devoted particularly to the worship of Lord Shiva. Critics of the event have argued that its timing and location required greater sensitivity regardless of the organisers’ food traditions.
The gathering was held in Tarun, well outside Ayodhya’s principal temple precinct. Congress representatives have stressed the distance while responding to suggestions that non-vegetarian food had been prepared close to Hanumangarhi or the Ram temple. The event was also disrupted by heavy rain.
BJP Uttar Pradesh president Pankaj Chaudhary criticised the Congress over the episode and demanded an apology, arguing that serving fish during Sawan had offended devotees. Other BJP leaders similarly sought to frame the controversy as evidence of the Congress failing to respect Sanatan traditions.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera countered that there was nothing inherently wrong with eating fish and accused the BJP of turning personal food preferences into a political dispute. He also argued that attention was being diverted from governance issues, including examination paper leaks and other concerns affecting young people.
The political argument has acquired another dimension because of the Nishad community’s electoral importance in Uttar Pradesh. Nishads and other riverine communities have significant pockets of influence across eastern and central parts of the state, making them an important constituency ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.
The BJP and its allies have invested considerable political effort in mobilising Nishad voters, while the Congress has been seeking to expand its social coalition following improvements in the opposition’s performance in parts of Uttar Pradesh during the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Sanjay Nishad, who heads the Nishad Party and serves as a cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, said fish formed part of Nishad tradition while accusing the Congress of attempting to draw the community into a political controversy. Another state minister, Om Prakash Rajbhar, entered the debate by referring to varying cultural interpretations surrounding the consumption and preparation of fish.
