Kova bun seller was harassed by YouTubers over ‘food jihad’ claims. Then, Andhra minister Nara Lokesh rallied behind him

Shaikh Shavali, who sells kova buns — a popular snack in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — said he was scared for his life while being aggressively questioned by YouTubers during the Medaram Jatara in Telangana’s Mulugu district. “I have never faced such a situation in my life. My family has been selling these kova buns for decades. I have been selling them for 10-12 years, and no one has questioned the quality or hygiene of the buns… Since I never anticipated this kind of harassment, I was unable to even defend myself. I was in shock… All kinds of thoughts were going through my mind, and I became concerned about my safety when they began demanding my Aadhaar card. That is when I started fearing for my life,” Shavali told The Indian Express on Monday. ALSO READ | ‘Wherever there is oppression, there will be jihad’: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Mahmood Madani A native of Velgode in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyala district, Shavali arrived in Mulugu on January 25 to sell the buns. “I did not face any problem initially, and business was good. The buns and kova were fresh, and no one came back and complained. On January 28, towards the evening, two to three people started pestering me about the quality of the food, and demanded to know whether I was using adulterated kova,” he said. They were YouTubers who filmed themselves demanding that Shavali eat the buns to prove he was not engaging in “food jihad”. The video, which went viral, showed Shavali being forced to eat a bun. One of the YouTubers complained that there was no manufacturing date or expiration date on the buns and claimed that he had called the police control room. ALSO READ | Vigilantes storm Bareilly cafe, assault group celebrating birthday over ‘love jihad’ claims “My mother makes the kova at home, and it is very delicious. We procure the buns from bakeries. It is a favourite of children and adults alike, and we prepare them at home so they are not that costly. They are prepared in proper conditions. We also eat them, and no one has ever fallen sick or complained,” Shavali explained. He said that his wife and two children became upset after they came to know of the treatment that was meted out to him. ## Nara Lokesh: I am deeply sorry… Shavali, also known as Vali, got an outpouring of support after the video, including from Andhra Pradesh Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh, son of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. In a post on X, Lokesh said, “Dear brother Vali, I am deeply sorry that you had to endure this. Such divisive and communal behaviour has no place in our Telugu society, which has always stood for harmony, mutual respect, and brotherhood. I will meet you soon and look forward to tasting your famous Khoya bun! We stand together.” The Vijayawada-based Minority Rights Protection Forum, headed by M Farooq Shubli, who is also the chairman of the AP Urdu Academy, has provided Rs 50,000 to compensate for the lack of earnings until Shavali feels safe enough to go back to business. Jana Sena Party MLC Nagendra Babu also gave Rs 25,000 to Shavali and his family. “They are a very innocent family, going about doing their business legitimately. Shavali is so simple that, although he has a food certificate, he does not know how to answer when someone asks him about it. He only knows it as a paper that is essential to run his business. What is heartening is how the entire Hindu society stood in support of Vali,” Shubli said. Shavali said he will get back to selling kova buns in a few days and hopes everything will be back to normal. ALSO READ | Paper leak protests spiral in Uttarakhand, Dhami calls it ‘nakal jihad’ ## ‘I could not react’ Explaining his business, Shavali said he takes freshly made buns daily on his cart around town, through bazaars, and sometimes parks or wherever there is a crowd. “A lot of customers know me, but they have never complained about the quality of the buns. No one has ever said that they fell sick after eating my buns. What those YouTubers were accusing me of was wrong and false. I think they did it for ‘likes’ and subscribers on their channel. No vendor, irrespective of religion, should face that kind of harassment. I was there just to earn some money,” Shavali said. He said the incident left him shocked. “I was so taken aback that I could not react. We also have a food safety certificate, but when they were asking about it, I could not react because I could not process all that. The video only shows a portion of the harassment; it had started much earlier and went on for about 1.5 hours. They forced me to leave there the same night,” Shavali said. His family possesses the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s Form C certificate, which was most recently renewed on December 9, 2025. The certificate is in the name of M/s Quality Sweets & Kova Bun, and the proprietor’s name is M Mahamood, Shavali’s father. Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More