I'm born in meat-eating caste, but didn't visit temple after eating non-veg: BJP Leader CT Ravi refutes allegations

Reacting to the incident, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah meanwhile discarded the matter as 'irrelevant'. "Going to temple, not going to temple, eating nonveg, not eating nonveg -- these things should not be a controversy," he said.

Mandya(Karnataka):Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and National General Secretary CT Ravi, who was recently accused of eating non-vegetarian food and entering a temple in Uttara Kannada district, has clarified that 'though he was born in a non-veg eating caste', he did not do what is being alleged. The reaction came after some photos of him eating nonveg food went viral on social media, creating outrage among the people and the Opposition.

"I am devoted to God. I was born in nonveg eating caste. But I did not go to the temple after eating nonveg. Some people are doing this just to create controversy," CT Ravi said on Wednesday while speaking to a group of reporters in Mandya. The leader also informed that during his visit to Bhatkal, he was called to see Nagabana, a temple in the vicinity. "The temple was closed for 45 days. So we offered our prayers from the outer premises of Nagabana,' he clarified.

Some other BJP leaders also spoke in his favour, questioning the authenticity of the photos that went viral. ''It is a white lie that CT Ravi went to the temple after eating nonveg. No one knows when those photos were taken. He has great devotion to God. It is only because of that commitment that he is now recognized as a leader at national level,'' said Nagaraj Nayak, the BJP spokesperson of Uttar Kannada district.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders in the state expressed outrage against Ravi. "CT Ravi is a devotee of God. How then did he forget that he has eaten nonveg? Or he may have thought that it would be okay even if he did it," Congress leader and former MLA of Karawar, Satish Sail said. "CT Ravi had earlier made same allegations against former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah when he visited Dharmsthala Temple. Now he has done the same. This is wrong," he further added.

Reacting to the incident, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah discarded the matter as 'irrelevant'. "Going to temple, not going to temple, eating nonveg, not eating nonveg -- these things should not be a controversy. The problems of the country need to be discussed. I am ready to discuss the real problems with the BJP, but are they?" Siddaramaiah said while speaking to the media in Hunagunda.

"They should talk about what they have done to the farmers and poor people of this country. Things like putting Tilaka, going to temple, talking about Tipu Sultan, Gandhi, Godse, Savarkar are not relevant issues. BJP does not have a clear way forward,'' Siddaramaiah added.