KOLKATA: Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya has stoked a political row with his remarks on Lord Shiva.
The CPI(M) MP wrote in a Facebook post in Bangla on November 11 that in his childhood he had seen a drunk postman staggering to a Shiva temple and beseeching Mahadev to take care of his family.
He asked in the post, "Who is keeping an account of the number of families which have been destroyed due to the belief that Mahadev (Lord Shiva) is the Guru of liquor and ganja (cannabis) consumption and will take care of the families of drunkards."
He further wrote: "Nakuleshwar Lane in Kalighat is a narrow lane near Mahakali Pathshala. If you enter Nakuleshwar Lane from Mahim Halder Street, after four or five houses, you can find a small Shiva temple. Some of us sometimes used to hang out on a cement bench of the house near the school on that street corner. One day, in the evening, I saw that the postman of the area who was in an inebriated state staggered to the temple and sat in front of it. I ran to look and saw that he was praying...'Baba, since you are the Lord of liquor and ganja, you should take care of families of those who drink'"
"I enjoyed listening to his prayer. The poor postman believes that the guru (God) of cannabis consumption is Mahadev himself and therefore, Mahadev should take the responsibility of taking care of the family of the drunks," Bhattacharyya said.
Bhattacharyya's remarks have spurred a heated debate, highlighting a broader clash of views on religious interpretations.
Criticizing Bhattacharyya's remarks, All India Hindu Mahasabha President Swami Chakrapani Maharaj said that the Communist party is 'anti-Hindu' and is always against 'Hindu Sanatana.'
"Lord Shiva is the one who prayed for the protection of the entire world and drank poison to save the world. He doesn't consume alcohol. Bhattacharyya should come and learn about Sanatana and Lord Shiva. Little knowledge is very dangerous. The Communist Party and Congress party have only one job: to insult Sanatana Dharma," he said.
"This is condemnable, and I want to say that he should apologize immediately. If he fails to do so, we will take action against him," he added.
He further said that some people mislead Lord Shiva by portraying him as consuming Bhang (cannabis).
Earlier this October, a political row erupted in Bihar over Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh made an alleged 'derogatory' statement about Goddess Durga. The BJP termed the RJD leader's objectionable statement against the Hindu deity as an example of "appeasement politics."
"According to Manuwadis, there are 33 crore Gods and Goddesses. India's population during the British period was 30 crores. When the country was enslaved, where was Maa Durga at that time and why did she not kill the British people? Maa Durga is imaginary," Singh had said.
In September, Bihar's Education Minister Chandra Shekhar triggered a similar controversy when he compared the Hindu scripture 'Ramcharitmanas' with potassium cyanide. The remarks drew sharp reactions from the BJP and LJP.