Bageshwar Dham Baba’s Remark Sparks Fresh Veg-Non-Veg Row in West Bengal

New Delhi : A fresh political and cultural controversy has erupted in West Bengal after Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Krishna Shastri made remarks concerning non-vegetarian food during the Durga Puja celebrations. Shastri, who was on a three-day visit to West Bengal for a Hanuman Katha programme on the occasion of Janmashtami, appealed to people not to sell non-vegetarian food near Durga idols during the festival and urged Bengali Hindus to follow Navratri traditions.

His remarks, particularly his reported reference to people consuming non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja as “heretics,” have triggered a sharp debate over religion, food choices and Bengali cultural traditions.

The issue is particularly sensitive in West Bengal, where Durga Puja is not merely a religious festival but a deeply rooted social and cultural celebration. Fish and meat have traditionally been part of Bengali cuisine, and in several communities, eating fish or meat during specific days of Durga Puja, including Navami, is considered a local custom. Shastri’s appeal has therefore been viewed by some as an attempt to question or interfere with established Bengali traditions.

The remarks have also prompted political reactions. West Bengal BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya did not endorse the statement, stressing that no religious preacher can decide what Bengalis should eat during their festivals. He pointed to local customs, including the traditional food practices followed by many Bengali families during Ashtami and Navami.

TMC MP Saugata Roy also criticised the remarks, saying that outsiders cannot dictate the food habits of the people of Bengal and that individual puja committees and families should follow their own traditions. The controversy comes against the backdrop of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, during which the issue of meat and fish consumption had already emerged as a major cultural and political talking point.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had alleged during the campaign that the BJP would impose restrictions on people’s food choices if it came to power, while the BJP dismissed the charge as misinformation and maintained that its objection was specifically to the open sale of beef.

With the latest remarks once again putting food, faith and cultural identity at the centre of political discourse, the “veg vs non-veg” debate has returned to Bengal, raising questions over whether religious practices and regional food traditions can coexist without political confrontation.

The controversy is now drawing attention far beyond the Durga Puja debate, as it touches upon the larger question of personal choice, religious sentiment and the cultural identity of Bengal.