West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has rejected the idea that Bengalis should be told what to eat during Durga Puja, responding to Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s recent appeal to people to stay away from non-vegetarian food during the festival.
Bhattacharya said individuals have the right to decide their own food and clothing choices and argued that Bengal’s long-standing culinary traditions cannot be dictated by a religious leader visiting the state.
“We eat what we eat,” Bhattacharya said while making his position clear on the controversy.
‘No One Has the Right to Decide What You Should Eat’
Reacting to Shastri’s remarks, the BJP leader said vegetarianism could certainly be promoted as a personal or religious choice, but it should not be presented as a rule for Bengali society.
“What one eats or wears is a personal choice. Bengal’s food culture is diverse, and everyone has the freedom to follow their own preferences. Won’t Bengalis have fish or mutton? Even Swami Vivekananda approved of it. No saint, leader, or anyone else has the right to decide what you should eat. Personal choice must remain personal,” Bhattacharya said.
Shastri had made his appeal during his recent visit to Howrah, where he addressed religious gatherings. He urged people to refrain from eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja and reportedly described those who continued doing so as pakhandis, or hypocrites.
BJP Leader Cites Bengal’s Durga Puja Traditions
Bhattacharya acknowledged that Shastri was free to advocate vegetarianism but objected to the language used against those who follow different dietary practices.
“We cannot say much about a saintly figure. His kathas are famous across the country and hundreds of thousands of people went to Howrah to listen to him. Anyone can advocate for vegetarianism and that doesn’t make it a crime or a sin. However, if someone uses a word like hypocrite, we do not endorse that,” he said.
He further pointed to traditional Bengali religious practices to argue that there is no single dietary rule followed during the festival.
“I am a political worker. What a sadhu says here or a maulvi says there – what does that have to do with us?” Bhattacharya said.
He noted that traditional Durga Puja celebrations in Bengal include different food customs across various days of the festival. According to him, luchi is traditionally eaten on Ashtami, while kochi patha or goat meat is associated with Navami in some traditions.
“Here, goat meat is offered as an offering to Maa Kali,” he added.
Dilip Ghosh Also Defends Bengal’s Food Customs
State minister Dilip Ghosh also backed the argument that Bengal’s religious traditions cannot be separated from the consumption of fish and meat.
“The situation in Bengal is different. People here are devotees of Goddess Kali, and animal sacrifices are offered to Her, as well as to many other deities. Sacrifices are even offered to Goddess Durga on Navami, and the meat is consumed as prasad. Fish is even offered to the deity as prasad. This is a long-standing tradition that has persisted for ages,” he said.
The comments came amid a growing debate over Shastri’s remarks and whether religious appeals regarding food should have a place in Bengal’s traditional Durga Puja celebrations.
VHP Had Earlier Issued Advisory to Puja Organisers
The controversy follows an earlier appeal by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), which had urged Durga Puja organisers in West Bengal to preserve traditional practices and keep non-vegetarian food away from puja pandals.
The organisation, however, clarified that it was not calling for a blanket ban on non-vegetarian food.
Shastri’s remarks subsequently intensified the discussion, particularly because fish and meat have historically been an important part of Bengali cuisine and certain Shakta religious traditions.
Sanjeev Sanyal Enters the Debate
Economist Sanjeev Sanyal also commented on the issue without directly naming Shastri.
In a post on X, Sanyal argued that meat has a significant place in Shakta Hindu traditions and is associated with offerings made to deities including Maa Durga and Maa Kali.
“The prasad eaten by the devotees on Navami/Dasami at Durga Puja is meat. Any interference in this sacred ritual will not be tolerated,” he said.
The dispute has consequently moved beyond a simple debate over vegetarianism, touching on questions of personal choice, religious practice and Bengal’s cultural identity ahead of Durga Puja.
