KOLKATA: The much-publicised controversy related to Bengalis’ dietary habits, triggered by some comments of Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, alias Bageshwar Baba, head of the Bageshwar Dham temple in Madhya Pradesh, reached the corridors of a police station in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Police complaints have been lodged separately at different police stations by Congress leaders.
A complaint has been lodged with the Bhabanipur police station under the West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s assembly constituency on Tuesday against Dhirendra Krishna Shastri for allegedly “hurting the sentiments” of the people of Bengal and “hurting the sentiments” of Durga Puja with his “unruly comments”, even as the ruling party BJP tries to play down the raging controversy.
Congress leader Pradip Prasad lodged the complaint against Bageshwar Baba, urging police to take immediate action against him as per law.
Manas Sarkar, Central Kolkata District Congress President, also filed a complaint against Shastri with the Muchipara police station.
"In the presence of important dignitaries/officials/elected representatives at a function which is also patronised by like-minded people in Liluah (Howrah), Dhirendra Krishna Shastri had made unruly comments which are dangerous in nature, deeply hurting the sentiments of the Bengali people in our state,” stated the complaint lodged by Prasad, South Kolkata District Congress President.
“Those who speak the language and belong to our state are all Bengalees or Bangalis, as there is no such division. He has uttered vile sentences and preached what to eat and what not to eat during Durga Puja,” according to the complaint.
While attending a programme at Liluah in Howrah on Sunday, Shastri, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, had referred to meat- and fish-eating Bengalis as “pakhandis” (hypocrites).
“In Bengal, during Navratri, non-vegetarian food is consumed behind Durga Puja pandals. Dirty food is cooked. This Navratri, the Hindus from Kolkata should wake up and boycott such people. Those who consume non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja are impious,” the chief of the Bageshwar Dham had said.
He was on a three-day-long visit to Bengal last week and had attended various programmes, including a dinner where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, his cabinet colleagues, an army of bureaucrats, BJP leaders like Samik Bhattacharya, Bengal BJP president and others had participated.
“Immediate administrative action needs to be initiated and an FIR needs to be registered with necessary arrests, as we Bengalis are insulted and sparking disharmony in society, including division, which is against the democratic and peaceful spirit,” Prasad wrote in his complaint.
Shastri’s controversial remarks, prompting opposition parties in Bengal to sharpen their attack on the state BJP, landed the saffron camp in a serious political embarrassment.
Facing strong criticism, even on social media platforms, Bhattacharya swung into action as a damage-control measure on Monday.
In a damage-control move, Samik Bhattacharya on Monday made it clear that Bengalis’ traditional dietary and cultural habits cannot be changed with proposals made by any sadhu or monk from outside.
Rubbishing the calls of the self-styled seer Shastri and Hindu religious organisations, the Bengal BJP chief had said, “Aamake aamar moto thakte dao. Bangali jaa khachchhe, tai khabe. Bangali machh khabe na? Mangsho khabe na? Swami Vivekananda bole gechhen, tnar opor aabar ke achhe? Maa Kali ekhane pantha khabe. Let me live as I wish. Bengalis will eat whatever they eat traditionally. Won’t Bengalis eat fish? Won’t they eat meat? Swami Vivekananda has also called for non-vegetarian food. Who else is there above him?”
While speaking to reporters in Kolkata on Monday, the state BJP chief had reacted to Shastri’s call for Hindus to eat vegetarian food, avoiding non-vegetarian food items during the Durga Puja festival and at pandals.
“Eating ‘luchi’ on the day of Astami and mutton on Navami during the Durga Puja festival is a Bengali tradition. This time, Bengalis will also maintain the tradition. Any physician or monk has the right to call for vegetarian food, but no one from outside can decide what someone in Bengal should eat or should not eat,” Samik had said.
State panchayat minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday asserted that eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja was not controversial.
“Saints speak from their own perspective and say that vegetarian food is good for health,” Ghosh told reporters.
On a controversy surrounding an 11-handed Durga idol in a government advertisement following a row over a state tourism video not featuring any Bengal landmark, Ghosh said officials of the departments concerned should remain alert.
“I don't know who is doing this. Perhaps they are doing it as part of some old tradition. The department minister and officials should remain alert. The habit of causing chaos that existed during the previous government remains with many people,” he said.
“Meat is core to Shakta Hinduism. It is offered to Ma Durga and Ma Kali as part of the ancient rituals. The Prasad eaten by the devotees on Navami/Dasami at Durga Puja is meat. Any interference in this sacred ritual will not be tolerated,” economist Sanjeev Sanyal wrote on his X handle on Monday.
