Rahul jumps into muddy pond, interacts with fishermen in poll-bound Bihar
Begusarai (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday jumped into a muddy pond in Bihar and interacted with fishermen present at the spot, whom he told that they always had his back.
The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, who addressed a rally in Begusarai district, went to a nearby pond along with former state minister Mukesh Sahni, whose Vikassheel Insan Party is a junior partner in the INDIA bloc.
The leaders took a boat to reach the middle of a pond, where Sahni, who had stripped down to his vest and underpants, cast a net, impressing Gandhi with his prowess.
The former minister, who likes to be called 'son of Mallah', a nickname highlighting that the former Bollywood set designer was back home to champion the cause of the fisherman's community to which he belongs, appeared excited with his catch and jumped into the chest-deep waters.
The Congress leader, who kept donning his trademark white T-shirt and cargo pants, followed Sahni, evoking roars of 'Rahul Gandhi zindabad'.
A large number of fishermen were also present at the spot, some of whom dived to join the leaders in chest-deep waters. Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar was also among those present.
A video clip of the incident was shared by the Congress on its X handle, stating Gandhi also discussed with the fishermen "challenges and struggles they face in their work".
The social media post also highlighted the INDIA bloc's promises like an insurance scheme for pisciculture and financial aid of Rs 5,000 to every family of fishermen for the "three-month-long lean period" during which fishing remains prohibited.
The party's state unit also shared the video clip, with the tongue-in-cheek remark, "This is a real pond".
The allusion was to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans for a dip in River Yamuna at Delhi on the occasion of Chhath Puja, which, according to Gandhi, was given up when it came to light that the chosen spot was "a puddle created with the help of clean, piped water".
An indignant BJP has been reacting to Gandhi's jibe, accusing him of "insulting" the most popular festival of Bihar. Meanwhile, Gandhi seemed to have won over many villagers in Begusarai.
Local news channels reported villagers expressing their delight over the former Congress president "shaking hands with us".
One channel reported that Gandhi later went to a nearby house for a change of clothes, where the occupants, all women, gushed, "He washed himself under the hand pump out there and used the decrepit washroom nearby, all without making any fuss."
The Congress leader also made a mention of the incident at the subsequent rally that he addressed in Khagaria.
"A little while ago, I went to catch fish with Sahni ji. Why? Because I want all farmers, fishermen, labourers and other such people who earn their living by the sweat of their brow, to feel that Rahul Gandhi is with them," the Congress leader said.
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Karnataka issues nutrition advisory for govt events; recommends millets, healthier options
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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday issued a nutrition advisory recommending healthier food and beverage options at meetings, functions, and other official gatherings held in the state.
The advisory has been issued by the Department of Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Services to promote healthy dietary and nutritional habits among officials and staff, noting that food, refreshments and beverages served in government offices and official programmes are "often not aligned with nutrition standards."
The advisory recommends serving snacks such as millet-based, low-fat and low-sugar foods, fresh fruits, vegetable salads, sprouts, roasted nuts and seeds during in-house office meetings and breaks.
Beverages such as green tea, low-fat buttermilk, and locally filtered or boiled water served in glass bottles or steel flasks have also been suggested.
According to the advisory, for larger government events, conferences and exhibitions, departments have been advised to include at least one millet-based item during snacks and a minimum of two millet dishes in meals, along with local cuisine and at least one regional recipe.
It also recommends the use of brown rice instead of white rice, freshly prepared vegetable salads, and fresh fruits or low-sugar fruit juices.
If non-vegetarian food is served, it should consist of well-cooked lean or white meat, the advisory stated.
In eateries operating within government office campuses, the department has recommended millet-based foods, fresh vegetable salads, boiled pulses such as horse gram or chickpeas, and low-fat beverages.
It suggests serving food using reusable metal plates and glasses.
The advisory also recommends avoiding microwave-heated food, industrially processed food, fried snacks, high-fat or heavily spiced dishes, carbonated drinks, high-sugar fruit juices, and alcoholic beverages.
It further discourages serving milk-based tea or coffee and plastic-bottled water during official events.
“Overall, hygiene and cleanliness should be maintained while serving food and water. Local cottage industries, self-help groups, prison kitchens, nutri-gardens and others should be preferred for placing food and beverage orders,” the advisory added.
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