Keeping up with the tradition of West Bengal, the state’s chief minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Kalighat Temple on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya on Thursday and enjoyed the traditional bhog offered at the temple — sweets, basanti pulao and fish.
“People can eat whatever they want, we don’t control it. As a Bengali, I will eat what Bengalis eat. However, on ashtami, I also offer pushpanjali and follow a sattvik diet. During Navratri and Durga Puja non-vegetarian food is consumed near the pandals. All sorts of dirty food are prepared.”
After the blog, Adhikari said that any saint or religious leader can express his opinion, referring to the recent remarks made by Madhya Pradesh-based Bageshwar Baba, who had appealed Bengalis to not eat non-vegeterian food during Durga Puja. That does not dilute the Sanatani traditions,” Adhikari said while talking to the reporters. Bageshwar Baba said, “Please don’t mind but there is something I don’t like about West Bengal While addressing the people at Lilua.
Today, I ate the offering which included fish and basanti rice.
“How can Bengalis not have fish and meat? It is dangerous if someone tries to rise above Vivekananda. “There is nothing wrong with someone appealing people to become vegetarian. There is a campaign on vegetarianism. Many people and even some doctors suggest it. But how can a sadhu or a political party tell you what you are going to eat at home? He is respected and popular across the nation. He has made an appeal,” he added. “In Bengal, non-vegetarian food is consumed behind Durga Puja pandals during Navratri. Dirty food is cooked. Garg was in Bengal over the weekend and attended a dinner alongside CM Suvendu Adhikari and several BJP ministers.
To this appeal, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party’s president Samik Bhattacharya responded indirectly by saying “how can Bengalis not eat fish and meat” and dismissed the religious leader’s remarks as “personal opinion”. Even Swami Vivekananda said Ma Kali will have mutton (as an offering). This is his personal opinion,” Bhattacharya said. Earlier reporting noted: The visit to the temple on the auspicious evening was an obvious signal to his party’s base but the subtler signal came in CM’s partaking of the non-vegetarian prasad, which would have been aimed at a larger section of the Bengali-Hindu electorate evidently miffed at the ongoing controversy sparked by a visiting ‘Baba’s’ comments on the eating habits of “Bangal ke Hindus” during Durga Puja. Earlier reporting noted: Bageshwar Dham Peethadhishwar Dhirendra Krishna Garg alias Bageshwar Baba, while addressing a gathering in Howrah on Sunday, had said those who “consume non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja are pakhandis (impious)”. This Navratri, Hindus of Bengal should wake up and boycott such people,” he had said.
Earlier reporting noted: Kolkata: Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Kalighat temple on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya on Thursday evening and had the prasad – comprising fried fish, fish head and basanti pulao (yellow rice) – after praying to Goddess Kali.
