KGMU's ban on non-vegetarian food in all hostel messes and canteens has sparked a political row, with the opposition criticising the move while BJP leaders defended the university's autonomy.

Lucknow: The King George's Medical University (KGMU) decision to ban non-vegetarian food in all hostel messes and canteens has snowballed into a political controversy, with opposition leaders criticising the move while BJP leaders and some religious figures defended the university's autonomy.

The controversy erupted after KGMU Chief Provost Prof. Kamal Kumar Sawlani issued an order on Tuesday directing that non-vegetarian food should neither be cooked nor served in hostel messes and canteens. The order, which came into effect immediately, asked hostel authorities to include protein-rich vegetarian food in students' meals to ensure adequate nutrition.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand described the order as a "Tughlaqi diktat" and questioned its selective application.

"Will Governor Anandiben Patel issue a similar order for BJP MPs who eat fish and rice in West Bengal? Why does the ideology change only after coming to Uttar Pradesh?" he asked.