New Delhi, Sept. 12 -- Amid the controversy over Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri's remarks urging Bengali Hindus to eat vegetarian food during Durga Puja, and Opposition parties' criticism of the BJP government for not acting against him, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday defended Bengal's distinctive food traditions.
Speaking at a programme organised by a vernacular news channel, Adhikari said that the Constitution gives people the freedom to decide what they eat.
"What is the controversy? Bengal has always had different religious traditions," Adhikari said. Referring to his own religious and dietary practices, Adhikari said he had eaten fish on Kaushiki Amavasya after offering prayers at Kalighat. "I had the bhog with fish and Basanti pulao," he said.
Shastri, popularly known as Bageswar Baba, made remarks describing those eating non-vegetarian food during Navaratri as 'pakhandi' (hypocrites), which triggered severe criticism from the Opposition parties. After the incident, some protestors burnt photographs of Bageswar Baba.
After Adhikari directed the police to arrest those responsible for burning Bageshwar Baba's photograph, South Kolkata district Congress general secretary Atanu Das was arrested. State Pradesh Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar condemned the arrest and alleged that a policy of suppression had taken root in the state. He said the Congress would not surrender before "fascist forces" and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Das.
"Bengalis will eat what they have traditionally eaten. No one from outside can decide what someone in Bengal should eat or should not eat," state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya had said.
TMC MLA from the Kalighat faction Kunal Ghosh questioned why Adhikari did not order the police to arrest Ananta Maharaj over his defamatory remarks against Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Meanwhile, the arrest has prompted the Congress to announce a series of protests across the state starting Friday. Some Congress leaders questioned why the Chief Minister had offered land for setting up an ashram to a person who allegedly hurt the sentiments of Bengalis.
CM Adhikari, however, distinguished different religious observances, saying that he would visit a Gaudiya Math on Radhastami and have sattvik food. "The Constitution has given you the freedom to choose," he added.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.