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West Bengal BJP leaders are backing state unit chief Samik Bhattacharya after he rejected Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s appeal to Bengalis to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja.

Bhattacharya had said that no religious figure or political party could dictate what people in West Bengal should eat or wear, stressing that food choices were a matter of personal freedom.

“We eat what we eat,” he said.

“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.

Samik Bhattacharya Pushes Back Against Shastri’s Appeal

During his recent visit to Howrah, Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, had appealed to people to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja and described those who consume it during the festive season as pakhandis (hypocrites).

Bhattacharya said Shastri had the right to advocate vegetarianism, but his views could not be imposed on Bengali society.

“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.

Bhattacharya said traditional Bengali food practices included non-vegetarian offerings and meals during religious festivals.

“I am a political worker. What a sadhu says here or a maulvi says there – what does that have to do with us?” he said.

He added that Durga Puja was approaching and Bengalis traditionally eat luchi (poori) on Ashtami and kochi patha (goat meat) on Navami.

“Here, goat meat is offered as an offering to Maa Kali,” Bhattacharya said.

Agnimitra Paul Backs Bengali Food Traditions

A day after Bhattacharya’s remarks, West Bengal minister and BJP leader Agnimitra Paul also backed the consumption of non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, saying Bengalis should be free to follow their traditional food practices.

Paul said dietary restrictions that may be relevant in other parts of India, where people observe Navratri with vegetarian diets, do not necessarily reflect Bengali traditions.

“What Bageshwar Baba has said may apply to non-Bengali states across India, where people observe Navratri and generally eat vegetarian food,” Paul said.

“But he does not know that in Bengal, Bengalis wait throughout the year for Durga Puja. We look forward to Durga Puja so that we can enjoy good food like mutton, hilsa and prawns. He does not understand this,” she added.

Paul said dietary choices during the festival should not be dictated by people from outside Bengal and stressed that Shastri’s comments represented his personal beliefs.

“Whatever Bageshwar Dham Baba has said reflects his own views and beliefs. There is no need to politicise the matter so much,” she said.

‘Eat Non-Veg, But Don’t Drink Alcohol On Ashtami’

While defending traditional Bengali food preferences during Durga Puja, Paul drew a distinction when it came to alcohol consumption.

She backed restrictions on drinking alcohol on Maha Ashtami, one of the significant days of Durga Puja celebrations, saying people should refrain from drinking on the auspicious occasion.

“In Bengal, we generally consume niramish (vegetarian food) during Maha Ashtami. Do you expect people to have niramish and alcohol together? That's not possible,” said Paul.

Her remarks focused on moderation and respect for the religious significance of the day rather than imposing a blanket vegetarian rule on Bengali devotees.

Sanjeev Sanyal Also Weighs In

Noted economist Sanjeev Sanyal also weighed in on the controversy without naming Shastri.

In a post on X, Sanyal said meat was “core to Shakta Hinduism” and was offered to Maa Durga and Maa Kali as part of ancient rituals.

“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.

VHP Had Also Called For Traditional Practices

The controversy comes against the backdrop of appeals from Hindu organisations and religious figures for devotees to observe Durga Puja with greater religious discipline.

Before Shastri’s appeal to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) had urged Durga Puja organisers in West Bengal to preserve traditional practices and keep non-vegetarian food away from pandals.

However, the outfit clarified that it was not seeking a ban on non-vegetarian food.

Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, had appealed to people to refrain from consuming non-vegetarian food during the Durga Puja/Navratri period.

His appeal triggered a debate over whether dietary practices associated with Navratri in several parts of India should also be followed during Durga Puja in Bengal, where food traditions surrounding the festival are markedly different.

Debate Over Bengal’s Distinct Food Traditions

For many Bengali households, Durga Puja is associated not only with religious rituals but also with elaborate meals. Non-vegetarian dishes, including mutton, fish and prawns, form an important part of Bengali culinary culture, although food practices vary between families and communities.

State minister Dilip Ghosh also echoed Bhattacharya’s remarks, saying that offering meat to Goddess Kali has been a long-standing tradition.

“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.

Bhattacharya’s intervention, followed by support from other BJP leaders, has brought the debate over religious observance, personal food choices and Bengal’s distinctive cultural traditions into sharper focus.