Om Prakash Mathur had barely settled into Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram when his first decision turned into a political fight. Reports that the new Governor of Keralam had ordered the official residence's kitchen to stop cooking non-vegetarian food drew sharp criticism from the Congress and the CPI(M) on Saturday, October 24, forcing Lok Bhavan to clarify that the rule applies only to the kitchen that prepares the Governor's own meals.
What exactly was ordered
According to reports that surfaced on Thursday, a day before Mathur took oath, the Governor directed that non-vegetarian food not be prepared or served in the Lok Bhavan kitchen. In a state where fish curry and meat dishes are part of everyday life, the news spread fast and quickly took on a political colour.
Officials at the Governor's office, speaking to news agency PTI, gave a narrower version. They said Mathur follows a strict vegetarian diet and has asked that no non-vegetarian dishes be cooked in the kitchen that makes his food. That kitchen, they said, serves only the Governor and a small group of his personal staff. Officials also pointed out that fish and meat had been cooked there under earlier Governors.
Lok Bhavan's clarification
Lok Bhavan later denied that non-vegetarian food had been banned at the Governor's residence. It said the restriction applied "only to the kitchen preparing food for the Governor." Employees and others working at Lok Bhavan face no limits on what they eat, officials said, and are free to bring food from home or eat outside.
Who is Om Prakash Mathur
Mathur, a senior BJP leader, was sworn in as the 29th Governor of Keralam on Friday, October 23, at a ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram attended by Keralam High Court Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Chief Minister V D Satheesan. Before this, he served as Governor of Sikkim.
His appointment was part of a reshuffle announced on October 12, in which his predecessor, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, was moved to Tamil Nadu. The same reshuffle named Dushyant Gautam for Sikkim, Braj Mohan Ram for Odisha, Sudha Yadav for Karnataka and Dhal Singh Bisen for Uttarakhand.
Key facts at a glance
| Governor | Om Prakash Mathur (29th Governor of Keralam) |
| Oath taken | Friday, October 23, 2026, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Previous post | Governor of Sikkim |
| Predecessor | Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar (moved to Tamil Nadu) |
| Reported order | No non-vegetarian food in the Lok Bhavan kitchen |
| Lok Bhavan's position | Applies only to the kitchen that cooks the Governor's meals; staff free to eat what they choose |
| Main critics | Congress (K C Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala), CPI(M) (M V Govindan) |
The political reaction
The strongest criticism came from AICC general secretary and Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal. He said the move went beyond a personal diet and touched on individual freedom, noting that Keralam has a diverse food culture and abundant fish resources. He called it "the first step towards implementing the saffron agenda of the Sangh Parivar in Keralam."
Venugopal said he respected Mathur's right to be vegetarian, but argued that the Governor should not impose his choices on a kitchen whose employees include Keralites. "Let us eat what we want to eat," he said, urging the Governor to withdraw the decision.
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also criticised what he described as attempts to dictate food choices, saying what a person eats is a matter of personal freedom. From the Left, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan accused the Sangh Parivar of turning food into a communal issue and said people in a democracy have the right to choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
Why this matters in Keralam
Food has long been a sensitive subject in Keralam's politics. Debates over beef, halal labels and dietary choices have repeatedly flared into larger arguments about culture and identity. A Governor's first move touching on food was always going to be read through that lens, especially at a time when relations between Raj Bhavans (now Lok Bhavans) and opposition-ruled or non-BJP state governments are closely watched across India.
At the same time, Lok Bhavan's clarification shifts the debate. If the rule truly covers only the Governor's personal kitchen, many would see it as a private dietary preference rather than a policy. Critics, however, argue that an official residence run with public money should not reflect one person's food habits, even in a small way.
What happens next
For now, there is no sign that the Governor will reverse the instruction, and Lok Bhavan maintains that nobody else's food choices have been restricted. The issue is likely to stay in the headlines as opposition parties keep up the pressure. How Mathur handles this early controversy may also shape his working relationship with the Satheesan government in the months ahead.
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