Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday questioned why eggs are promoted as nutritious food, and said that people should drink cow’s milk for good health, PTI reported.

Referring to the National Egg Coordination Committee’s jingle, “Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao ande” (Eat eggs every day, whether Sunday or Monday), Yadav said: “Why Sunday or Monday…it’s useless talk.”

“Why force yourself to eat eggs? Keep feeding them to those who want to eat ande-dande,” PTI quoted the chief minister as saying at an event in Hatod, about 20 kilometres from Indore. “Drink cow’s milk and be happy.”

He added: “Whoever has a cow at home, all their family members, including children, remain healthy. This is God’s leela [miracle].”

While eggs are low-cost and have high protein levels, several Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states in recent years reversed policies and schemes that entailed promoting them as source of nutrition for children.

Activists say this resistance ignores the dietary habits of tribal and Dalit communities, who are among the primary beneficiaries of these schemes and do not necessarily follow vegetarian norms.

As of 2015, Madhya Pradesh had at least eight lakh malnourished children in its rural and tribal areas.

In 2019, the Kamal Nath-led Congress government had proposed serving eggs to children to tackle malnutrition. But after the BJP returned to power in 2020, then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said his government would not include eggs in midday meals.

The midday meal scheme, officially known as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, was launched in August 1995 to boost universalisation of primary education, while improving nutrition levels of children.

The scheme also emphasises providing cooked meals that deliver at least 450 calories, between eight and 12 grams of protein and adequate quantities of other nutrients.

Also read: Not just Madhya Pradesh: Denying eggs to malnourished children is common in BJP-run states

📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT & CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC

Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting