West Bengal BJP chief and MP Samik Bhattacharya addresses a press conference in Kolkata on September 7, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI
A day after the president of the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Samik Bhattacharya said Bengalis would eat fish and meat during Durga Puja, rejecting the advice of the chief priest of Bageshwar Dham Dhirendra Krishna Shastri to follow a vegetarian diet during the pujas, several other BJP leaders came out in Mr. Bhattacharya’s support.From Ministers of the West Bengal government to veteran party leaders, everyone followed the line taken by Mr. Bhattacharya. However, none of them criticised the self-styled godman, and some said that there was nothing wrong in promoting vegetarianism.“Our State party president has clearly said that any person coming from outside will not understand our culture. In other States, during Durga Puja, everyone eats vegetarian food. But if he thinks that the same culture is here, it is not the case here. Here (in West Bengal) we save money so that we can have mutton and fish,” Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Agnimitra Paul said.There was a tradition of offering animal sacrifices during Durga Puja and Kali Puja, and meat is offered as ‘prasad’’, Panchayat Minister and former State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said. “Some saints say that eating vegetarian food is good, but that is not a compulsion in West Bengal,” Mr. Ghosh said.Senior BJP leader and West Bengal Industries Minister Tapas Roy, said that “each religion has its own rules but people will eat whatever they want”. “Our president Shamik Bhattacharya has also clarified that people will follow their own rules relating to religion and eat what they want,” Mr. Roy said.West Bengal BJP veteran and former Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy said Dhirendra Shastri’s remarks were a non-issue. “Those who want to follow him, do so by all means — not eating non-veg food will hurt no one. And those who, like me, will eat non-veg food anyway, will ignore him. So, what’s all this hullabaloo about?” Mr. Roy said.Dhirendra Shastri, also known as ‘Bageshwar Baba’, made the remark while addressing his devotees at an event in Liluah on September 6, 2026. “I want to appeal to the Hindus of Bengal that during Navratri, even if you don’t keep the idols of the Goddess, do not sell non-veg near the idols,” the self-styled godman said. The remark had triggered strong reactions from the people of the State, including leaders of Opposition parties. The Madhya Pradesh-based religious preacher was welcomed to the State by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari who, along with members of the Cabinet, had dinner with him.On September 7, Mr. Bhattacharya appeared to attempt damage control by saying nobody could ask Bengalis to give up non-vegetarian food.“How can Bengalis not have fish and meat? Even Swami Vivekananda said Ma Kali will have mutton [as an offering]. It is dangerous if someone tries to rise above Vivekananda. This is his (Shastri’s) personal opinion,” Mr. Bhattacharya had said. The BJP leader, however, added that there was no sin in advocating vegetarianism.Political parties in the Opposition have targeted the BJP over the issue. While the Congress party lodged a police complaint against Dhirendra Shastri at the Bhawanipur police station, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said it was not Bageshwar Baba but those who had invited him to the State who were to be blamed.Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh said the State government, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was patronising Bageshwar Baba, should offer clarification. “This is not just a matter of filing a complaint…There is a government that is patronising all this. The friends of this government come and insult Bengal and Bengalis whenever they wish,” Mr. Ghosh said. Published - September 08, 2026 10:45 pm IST
