Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI): Amid heated debate on beef ban in the country, Union minister and BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said he himself is a non-vegetarian, and food is a matter of choice.

He debunked the notion that BJP 'wants to make everyone vegetarian'.

"Some mad people keep on saying such things (BJP wanting to make everybody vegetarian). It is people's choice to eat whatever they want or don't want," Naidu said, speaking to reporters before an official press conference in Mumbai.

He rued that politics is being played over the issue.

"There was a comment from a political party saying 'BJP wants to make everyone vegetarian' and there was also a TV debate on it. I told my journalist friends that I was the state (BJP) chief in Hyderabad and am also a non-vegetarian, still I became the president of the party," he said.

In the last three years, incidents of 'cow vigilantes' indulging in violence have been reported from many parts of the country.

A recent order by the Union government banning sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets fuelled the debate on beef ban afresh.