Of all the things that had to be fixed in Mumbai, who would have thought that the city’s dietary habits were at the top of any list? But clearly, the government cares. And it has strong opinions on what you should not eat. As all the jokes doing the rounds on social media suggest, this is what the prime minister meant when he said, “I won’t eat and I won’t let others eat.”

Of course, to be fair, the prime minister most likely has nothing to do with this. Since the Jain observance of ‘Paryushan’ is around the corner, some BJP politicians petitioned the government to ban the sale of meat in the city for a few days, as a sign of respect. Jains, as we know, have serious dietary proscriptions which extend not just to animals but as far as root vegetables. Onion prices being what they are, maybe no one can afford to eat them any more but certainly no one seems to have banned garlic, potatoes and carrots. Or even suggested it.