Have ragi mudde, not chicken manchurian: Venkaiah Naidu tells children in Karnataka

Vice-President of India M Venkaiah Naidu has urged people to avoid junk food and follow traditional Indian food, for maintaining good health.

“Avoid junk food. Eat traditional, local food. Our forefathers have suggested, practised and promoted, and have given us such beautiful varieties of food. I am in Karnataka; I need not explain to you how many varieties are here. Some of them have now become world-famous stuff,” Naidu said in an event on Tuesday.

Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, he sought to know why people should run after junk foods like pizza and burgers when they have their own traditional food.

“They (junk food) will be suitable for conditions of certain foreign countries, but they are not suitable for Indian conditions. Unfortunately, we started aping the west and westernisation, some of our kids also developed that weakness,” he said.

Noting that branding and marketing by companies made these junk foods popular, Naidu said, “Chicken Manchurian…when you have your own local biryani, why Manchurian…Children these days also ask for Chicken 65, when we have Ragi Mudde (Ragi balls) and naatu kodi pulusu (country chicken curry) in Karnataka…enjoy it, why run after something else?”

Also read: Venkaiah Naidu breaks down denouncing ruckus in Rajya Sabha

The Vice-President was speaking at Vaccinate India Programme, an initiative of the Department of Planning, Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with the Give India Foundation.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, were among the others present at the event.

Cautioning that COVID-19 was not yet over, Naidu said without people’s cooperation, the plans of the government will not be successful.

“I would only like to tell the people that this (COVID) is not yet over, don’t be casual. One has to be extra careful because there is talk of the third wave. We have to be on guard, we should be following the protocol issued by the government of India and the state, also medical experts from time to time, and follow it,” Naidu said.

Naidu called on the people to perform their responsibility by getting vaccinated, maintaining a six feet distance, following COVID-19 protocols, and avoiding junk foods.

Also read: How FSSAI’s warning to junk food makers is mere shadow-boxing

Urging people to give up hesitancy for vaccination, the Vice-President lauded Indian companies and scientists for developing vaccines against COVID-19 and pointed out that vaccines are now being supplied to other countries also.

“So, we have vaccines, there is no dearth of vaccines, and if there is a need, as the Chief Minister was mentioning, I have already told him that I will be talking to the Union Health Minister and get you adequate vaccines,” he said.

“Vaccination drive against COVID-19 must become Janaandolan (public movement), with active participation from everyone,” Naidu said, adding that so far 58 crore vaccine doses have been administered and 13 crore people have been fully vaccinated in the country.