In Tamil Nadu, rising food poisoning cases linked to low-quality biryani from Muslim-owned eateries have sparked outrage and scrutiny. Concerns about food safety and cultural tensions intensify as allegations of contamination and exploitation surface.
The growth of biryani and non-vegetarian eateries has seen a significant rise since the 1980s, contributing to an increasing addiction to such foods, akin to the consumption of liquor and drugs. Biryani has become a staple in political gatherings, where attendees—primarily the economically disadvantaged—are often lured with free meals, liquor, and small cash sums.
A notable trend is the proliferation of biryani stalls, particularly those run by Muslims, who claim that biryani was introduced to India by the Mughals as a royal dish. Today, biryani shops—whether owned by Hindus or Muslims—are prevalent, especially targeting night shift workers and the IT sector. The growing popularity of biryani has sparked concerns that this culinary obsession is being exploited to manipulate public preferences, especially with Muslim-run stalls dominating the market.
Growing concerns over the poor quality of biryani and chicken rice have surfaced, with complaints of rotten and worm-infested food being ignored by shop owners. Videos of customers voicing grievances have circulated, showing unresponsive shopkeepers, while police and food safety authorities reportedly sided with them. Allegations have also emerged that around 100 packets of biryani are distributed daily to police and food safety staff of the Greater Chennai Corporation.
At Chennai’s Central Railway Station, authorities frequently seize foul-smelling skinned animals, suspected to be dog meat, shipped without sender or receiver addresses. This meat is believed to be distributed across local hotels, including star-rated establishments.
In a shocking revelation, lab tests from the previous Jaganmohan regime showed that Tirupati temple’s Laddu contained traces of fish oil, pig-derived fat, and beef tallow. This finding sparked outrage among devotees in Tamil Nadu, prompting authorities to take swift action against three biryani shops run by Muslims, raising questions about food quality and origins in the region.
On September 19, 34 people were hospitalised after consuming biryani from a hotel chain, suffering from vomiting and dizziness. Seven affected families have lodged individual complaints with the police following the food poisoning incident.
A netizen took to social media platform X, stating, “When people fall seriously ill, it’s always from a famous biryani shop. When 65 people die from illicit alcohol, they call it spurious liquor. The media avoids naming these biryani hotels in a quid pro quo arrangement. Would they buy biryani from such chains for their own families? And if something happened, would they stay silent?”
34 பேர் சாப்பிட்டு துடி துடிச்சா….அது பெயர் "பிரபல பிரியாணி கடை"
65 பேர் கள்ள சாராயம் குடித்து செத்துப் போனா….அது பெயர் "விச ச்சாரயாம்"
பெயர் போடாமல் இருக்க எத்தனை பொட்டி வாங்கினாலும் சரி…..நாளைக்கு இவனுக வீட்ல இதே ஹோட்டல்ல தெரியாம சாப்பிடாம நல்லா இருந்துருவாங்க.??😏 pic.twitter.com/FpO2hWmf3t
— Sanghi Prince 🚩 (@SanghiPrince) September 19, 2024
Police have taken down a banner from Aasife Biryani, a Muslim-owned restaurant in Chidambaram, after it was deemed offensive by local Hindus for promoting non-vegetarian food during the sacred Purattasi month. The banner advertised a special “Parotta Mela,” offering free parottas with the purchase of non-veg gravy, which many found disrespectful to the religious sentiments observed during this period.
கடலூர் மாவட்டம், சிதம்பரம் நகரத்தில், தமிழக முழுவதும் இஸ்லாமியர்களால் நடத்தப்படும் ஆசிப் பிரியாணி உணவகம் சிதம்பரத்தில் தனது கிளையை வைத்துள்ளது. அந்த உணவகம் சிதம்பரம் நகரப் பகுதிகளில் புரட்டாசி மாத புரோட்டா மேளா எனவும், pic.twitter.com/JLRAZtagsc
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) September 19, 2024
Hindus in Tamil Nadu traditionally avoid non-vegetarian food during the sacred Purattasi month to honor Bhagwan Vishnu, with special poojas held on Mahalaya Amavasya (new moon day), which falls on October 2 this year. Before the rise of biryani stalls in the state, most Hindus only prepared non-vegetarian dishes on specific occasions like weekdays, the 16th-day death ritual, Diwali, or family feasts.
Residents of Chidambaram voiced their displeasure, stating that promoting non-vegetarian food during this holy period was disrespectful and hurtful to their beliefs. The Hindu Munnani filed a complaint with the police, arguing that the slogans on the banners mocked their religious practices. Responding to the complaint, the police swiftly removed the offensive banners.
Earlier, during the Pongal festival, another controversy arose when a biryani shop announced a competition for children to recite couplets from the Thirukkural, with age-based winners receiving half or full plates of biryani as prizes. This promotion sparked outrage among the public.
There is growing concern that native cuisine is being undermined by the rise of Mogul-originated biryani, with a proliferation of unlicensed, unhygienic roadside eateries in Chennai and elsewhere. Critics accuse these establishments of using poor-quality condiments and contaminated, rotten meats from dogs, cats, and cattle. The tragic death of a girl after consuming shawarma has intensified scrutiny. Additionally, there are alarming allegations that some biryanis are laced with male contraceptive pills, potentially causing impotence, and claims that separate vessels are used for Hindus and Muslims.
In Thiruverkadu, Chennai, food safety officials recently sealed the Appu Biryani outlet due to unhygienic practices. The owner, who has experienced a meteoric rise in success and drives an Audi, reportedly profits significantly from this chain of restaurants.
அப்பு கடைக்கு ஆப்பு… அசுர வளர்ச்சியில் ‘Audi’ கார்… இப்படி பணம் சம்பாதிக்கணுமா? பிரியாணியில் சுத்தம் இல்லை.. நெஞ்சில் அடித்து கதறும் ஓனர்!#Chennai #Food #Briyani #AppuKadaiBiryani #AppuKadai #FoodDepartment #FoodSafetyDepartment #NewsTamil #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/cxvFFhw4sC
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) September 19, 2024
On September 13, nearly 100 people, including many children, fell ill after consuming biryani at a DMK public meeting in Madurai, where welfare items were distributed. In a separate incident on September 19 in Tirupattur, DMK members vandalised and attacked the cooks for failing to serve them biryani.
Comments