Bengal snubs Baba Bageshwar, reject vegetarian call during Durga Puja
Samik Bhattacharya said Durga Puja food choices are personal, as social media claims and no state directive fueled debate over non-vegetarian restrictions.
- On Sunday in Kolkata, Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri urged Hindus to boycott those eating "dirty" non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, declaring "Meat must not be sold near the goddess idol during the festival."
- Following Shastri's remarks, speculation regarding Durga Puja non-vegetarian restrictions grew, as social media posts suggested the Vishwa Hindu Parishad may issue guidelines, though officials have not confirmed any directives.
- Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya rejected the notion of imposing dietary restrictions during the festival, emphasizing that personal eating habits remain a private choice rather than a matter for political or religious prescription.
- Bengalis frequently consume goat meat on Navami, and Bhattacharya affirmed that religious figures cannot dictate dietary habits, asserting individuals should be free to choose their own food regardless of religious festivities.
- Despite previous meetings between West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Shastri, Bhattacharya maintained that the party will not enforce external cultural prescriptions on philosophical foundations rooted in Swami Vivekananda's teachings.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Rejecting Dhirendra Shastri’s advice, several BJP leaders say Bengalis will eat non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja
Following strong reactions to the advice of ‘Bageshwar Baba’ to not sell non-vegetarian food near the idols during Durga Puja, Ministers of the West Bengal government and veteran party leaders support Samik Bhattacharya in rejecting the self-styled godman’s advice
No right to dictate our food: Bengal BJP chief rejects Dhirendra Shastri's veg call during Durga Puja
West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya rejected Dhirendra Krishna Shastri's appeal to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, saying Bengalis are free to eat what they choose. He said Shastri could advocate vegetarianism but not impose his views on Bengalis.
‘Bageshwar Baba Cannot Decide What Bengal Eats’: Samik Bhattacharya On Puja Food Row
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Amid growing speculation on social media and public discussions over whether non-vegetarian food could be restricted during Durga Puja in West Bengal, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya has spoken out on the issue.</p> <p class="isSelectedEnd">Posts are circulating on social media claiming that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has issued guidelines against the sale of non-vegetarian food during the festival and settin…
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