Kolkata: West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has rejected calls to restrict non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, saying that what people eat is a matter of personal choice and cannot be dictated by political or religious figures.
Bhattacharya was responding to remarks by Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, who recently appealed to people in West Bengal to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja and called for such food not to be sold around puja pandals. His comments have triggered a debate over food habits, religious practices and Bengali cultural traditions.
Bhattacharya said Shastri was free to advocate vegetarianism, but that did not give anyone the right to impose dietary choices on Bengali society. He stressed that food preferences are personal and that people should have the freedom to decide what they eat.
“Bengalis traditionally have luchi on Ashtami and mutton on Nabami,” Bhattacharya said, making it clear that he did not expect these long-standing practices to change because of the controversy.
He also referred to Bengal's distinctive religious and cultural traditions, where fish and meat have historically formed part of festive and devotional practices. Bhattacharya argued that Bengal's food culture cannot simply be reshaped according to the views of someone from outside the state.
The controversy began after Shastri, during his recent programmes in West Bengal, criticised the consumption and sale of non-vegetarian food around Durga Puja venues. He urged Hindus to avoid such food during Navratri and appealed for a boycott of those selling or consuming it near puja pandals.
The remarks have since drawn reactions from across the political spectrum. Congress leaders in Bengal have filed police complaints against Shastri, accusing his comments of creating social disharmony.
The issue has also exposed differing views within the broader political discourse in Bengal. BJP leaders, including Bhattacharya and Dilip Ghosh, have sought to distance themselves from any blanket restriction on non-vegetarian food, while emphasising Bengal's traditional practices.
The debate comes just weeks before Durga Puja, when food, family gatherings and regional traditions become a major part of public life in Bengal. For many Bengalis, fish and meat remain closely connected with their culinary heritage, while others observe the festival through vegetarian practices.
Bhattacharya's remarks therefore place the emphasis on individual freedom rather than a uniform dietary rule, signalling that food choices during Durga Puja should ultimately remain a personal decision.
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