West Bengal Congress has lodged a police complaint against Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri, known as Bageshwar Baba, alleging his recent statements regarding Durga Puja and dietary habits have offended the Bengali community. The complaint, filed by senior Congress leader Manash Sarkar and others, argues that Shastri's characterization of non-vegetarian eaters during religious festivals as hypocrites is an unacceptable interference in cultural practices. They demand an apology and police action, questioning the justification for such pronouncements and seeking to understand if the BJP supports these views. In response, the BJP has emphasized that consuming fish and meat is a traditional and intrinsic element of Bengali culture, particularly during Durga Puja, and not a subject for controversy. State BJP leaders have defended these customs, highlighting practices like goat sacrifice and its consumption as prasad as integral to the festival's traditions.

West Bengal Congress has lodged a police complaint against Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri, known as Bageshwar Baba, alleging his recent statements regarding Durga Puja and dietary habits have offended the Bengali community. The complaint, filed by senior Congress leader Manash Sarkar and others, argues that Shastri's characterization of non-vegetarian eaters during religious festivals as hypocrites is an unacceptable interference in cultural practices. They demand an apology and police action, questioning the justification for such pronouncements and seeking to understand if the BJP supports these views. In response, the BJP has emphasized that consuming fish and meat is a traditional and intrinsic element of Bengali culture, particularly during Durga Puja, and not a subject for controversy. State BJP leaders have defended these customs, highlighting practices like goat sacrifice and its consumption as prasad as integral to the festival's traditions.

West Bengal Congress has lodged a police complaint against Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri, known as Bageshwar Baba, alleging his recent statements regarding Durga Puja and dietary habits have offended the Bengali community. The complaint, filed by senior Congress leader Manash Sarkar and others, argues that Shastri's characterization of non-vegetarian eaters during religious festivals as hypocrites is an unacceptable interference in cultural practices. They demand an apology and police action, questioning the justification for such pronouncements and seeking to understand if the BJP supports these views. In response, the BJP has emphasized that consuming fish and meat is a traditional and intrinsic element of Bengali culture, particularly during Durga Puja, and not a subject for controversy. State BJP leaders have defended these customs, highlighting practices like goat sacrifice and its consumption as prasad as integral to the festival's traditions.

West Bengal Congress has filed a police complaint against Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, alleging that his recent remarks about Durga Puja and food practices in the state hurt the sentiments of the Bengali community.

The complaint was filed by senior Congress leader Manash Sarkar, who demanded an apology from Shastri and police action against him.

“He called us hypocrites. It means that we do anything in the name of religion. He is telling us what we should or should not eat. He is asking why we eat non-vegetarian food, why we eat fish, mutton and chicken. Is he going to decide what we should eat?” Sarkar asked.

He also questioned whether BJP leaders would endorse Shastri's remarks.

The self-styled godman had appealed to Bengalis to give up non-vegetarian food during the Durga Puja festivities and described those who eat meat on religious occasions as “hypocrites”.

Pradip Prasad, president of the South Kolkata District Congress Committee, also filed a complaint seeking registration of an FIR against Shastri over his remarks.

“Such remarks, if found to have been made as reported, are deeply hurtful to the sentiments of the Bengali people and are particularly objectionable when made in relation to Durga Puja, a festival that holds immense cultural, social and religious significance in West Bengal,” Prasad said.

The BJP, meanwhile, sought to distance itself from the controversy, saying that consuming fish and meat is part of Bengali culture.

“It is part of our West Bengal customs. Durga Puja is approaching; we Bengalis eat luchi on Ashtami, and we also eat kochi patha (meat) on Navami. We eat what we eat,” BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said.

State minister Dilip Ghosh also defended the practice of eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, saying it was not a matter of controversy.

“Bengal has a tradition of goat sacrifice during Durga Puja, and that is consumed as prasad. Eating goat meat here is not a matter of controversy,” he said.