CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: A political and cultural controversy has emerged in West Bengal after Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri appealed to people to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja. His remarks, urging people not to cook, sell or eat fish and meat near Durga Puja celebrations, triggered reactions across political and social circles in the state.
The controversy intensified after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari hosted Shastri for dinner along with members of his Cabinet. The meeting drew criticism from opposition parties, which questioned the government’s association with the religious preacher amid the growing debate over Bengali food traditions and religious practices.
The issue has also exposed differing views within the BJP. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya distanced the party from Shastri’s remarks and said that no religious leader or political organisation should dictate what people eat or wear. He emphasised that Bengalis have their own long-standing culinary traditions and should remain free to follow them.
Supporters of Shastri, meanwhile, argue that his appeal concerns religious practices and the sanctity of festival spaces. The dispute has consequently developed beyond a dietary question into a larger discussion about culture, religion, individual choice and political influence in Bengal, particularly ahead of the state’s forthcoming electoral contest.
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