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2 clusters · 14 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

West Bengal religious dietary controversy

Overview

A political controversy emerged in West Bengal after Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, head of Bageshwar Dham, urged Bengalis to refrain from eating non-vegetarian food during the Durga Puja festival. Shastri reportedly labeled those consuming meat during religious festivities as “hypocrites.”

The remarks prompted legal and political reactions. The West Bengal Congress filed a police complaint, alleging the comments were derogatory and could incite social disharmony.

In response, leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended local traditions, noting that consuming fish and meat is a deeply rooted cultural and religious practice in Bengal. BJP officials emphasized that dietary choices are personal and highlighted that fish is often included in traditional religious offerings, such as the bhog at the Kalighat temple. While the BJP defended Shastri’s right to express opinions, they distanced themselves from his specific dietary advice, asserting that religious practices vary by local culture and occasion.

Entities

BJP · Dhirendra Krishna Shastri · Samik Bhattacharya · Dilip Ghosh · Suvendu Adhikari

Timeline

  1. 6 days ago

    [POLITICS] 6 sources
    West Bengal leaders defend traditional fish offerings amid religious dietary row

    BJP leaders in West Bengal are defending local religious traditions, including the consumption of fish as temple offerings, following calls by religious figure Dhirendra Shastri to shun non-vegetarian food.

  2. 10 days ago

    [POLITICS] 9 sources
    West Bengal political row erupts over Dhirendra Shastri's non-veg remarks

    West Bengal politics has intensified after Bageshwar Dham's Dhirendra Shastri urged Bengalis to avoid meat during Durga Puja, prompting a Congress police complaint and a BJP defense of local traditions.

Sources

agniban.com · bhaskarhindi.com · desitalkchicago.com · enavabharat.com · nationalheraldindia.com · news.abplive.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · prabhatkhabar.com · punjabkesari.com · samacharnama.com · socialnews.xyz · thecsrjournal.in · thenews21.com · tv9hindi.com