Rahul didn't eat chicken before temple visit: CM

The Congress on Tuesday downplayed an incident wherein the party chief Rahul Gandhi reportedly ate chicken before visiting a temple in Koppal district.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said food habits and eating non-vegetarian food is one's personal choice. "Besides, Rahul has personally clarified to me that he did not eat chicken before entering the temple. Its a non-issue," Siddaramaiah said.

The BJP on Monday had hit out at Rahul for reportedly visiting Kanakachala Lakshmi-Narasimha Swamy temple in Kanakagiri in Koppal district after eating "Javari chicken".

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Monday had taken to Twitter. "At one side there is 10 percent CM Siddaramaiah who took darshan of Dharmasthala Manjunatha after eating fish, on the other side there is Election Hindu @OfficeOfRG (Rahul Gandhi) who took darshan of Narasimha swamy after eating Javari chicken."

Meanwhile, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy defended Rahul over the chicken controversy saying that there was nothing wrong in entering temples after consuming meat, as long as one's conscience was clear.

"What's wrong if somebody eats non-veg before entering a temple? Meat is in fact considered a favourite of some gods. The human body itself is made of flesh. But, what's the point in going to a temple when your conscience itself isn't clear," he added.