Kolkata, Sept. 11 -- Bageshwar Dham seer Dhirendra Shastri clarified from Glasgow that his recent remarks calling those who eat non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja "Pakhandi" were not intended to hurt any religion or tradition, amid a political controversy in West Bengal. Meanwhile, after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed, a Congress leader was arrested for burning Shastri's photo to protest against his comment.
Shastri said he had no authority to dictate anyone's food habits and that his remarks were limited to maintaining the sanctity of Puja pandals. He said he was opposed to animal sacrifice and had only suggested that people who eat fish or meat during Puja do so at home rather than around Puja venues. He maintained that his comments had been "completely misinterpreted" and that he had no intention of interfering in anyone's personal dietary choices.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police arrested South Kolkata District Congress Committee general secretary Atanu Das in connection with a demonstration outside Bhowanipore Police Station on September 8, during which posters bearing Shastri's image were allegedly burnt, trampled and hit with shoes.
According to police, a case was registered at Bhowanipore Police Station under Sections 196(1), 302 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The FIR names South Kolkata District Congress Committee president Pradip Prasad, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ashutosh Chatterjee, Das and others.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Shubhankar Sarkar has described the arrest as "undemocratic".
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.