How fish has BJP’s plate full in West Bengal | India Information

West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari final week supplied prayers on the Kalighat Temple on the event of ‘Kaushiki Amavasya’ and partook of a standard bhog that included fish and ‘basanti pulao’. Apparently, the timing of the go to gave the ritual a political context.The meal got here amid a political controversy over Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s latest attraction to Bengali Hindus to chorus from consuming non-vegetarian meals throughout Durga Puja. As anticipated, the remarks kicked up a political storm, forcing the BJP’s Bengal unit to publicly distinguish itself from Dhirendra Shastri’s place on meals.Chief minister Adhikari, who had shared a stage with Shastri earlier this month and invited him to ascertain a centre in Bengal, then bought into the balancing act.“A non secular determine is entitled to specific his opinion, however whether or not individuals settle for it or not is a private matter,” the chief minister stated after his Kalighat go to.Adhikari additionally referred to his personal practices, saying he follows a sattvik weight loss program on Ashtami and through Kartik, whereas accepting fish supplied to Goddess Kali as bhog and goat meat as prasad.“A saint or a non secular chief is entitled to specific their opinion. Folks could select to just accept it or not. On Mahashtami, once I worship Maa Durga, I eat sattvik meals. Throughout the month of Kartik additionally, I eat sattvik meals. On the similar time, as a Bengali, I settle for the bhog supplied to Maa with fish. I additionally settle for the prasad of goat sacrifice. Right this moment, no matter was supplied to Maa within the afternoon, the temple monks gave me the identical. There was fish head and fried fish, together with basanti pulao,” he stated.

From Liluah to Kalighat

All this started on September 4, when Adhikari shared the stage with Shastri at a Hanumant Katha programme on the Liluah Workshop Floor in Howrah.

Addressing Shastri, Adhikari stated: “Baba Maharaj Ji, please open a centre right here. There must also be a Bageshwar Dham centre. That is the land of saints and of religious awakening.”Two days later, on September 6, Shastri appealed to Hindus in Bengal to not promote, cook dinner or eat non-vegetarian meals close to Durga Puja idols throughout Navratri. He described these consuming such meals as “pakhandi” and referred to as for opposition to the apply.“I’m interesting to the Hindus of Bengal, that in Navratri, even in the event you do not hold the idols of the Goddess, don’t promote or eat non-veg close to the idols. I don’t prefer it when soiled non-vegetarian meals is eaten throughout Durga Puja and at gatherings linked to the festivities. I would like the Hindus of Kolkata to awaken and boycott such individuals. These individuals can’t be thought-about non secular; they’re pakhandi (hypocrites). Get up and expel these individuals,” he appealed.

BJP pushback

The remarks triggered criticism from the opposition and prompted the Bengal BJP to distance itself from the dietary prescription.State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya stated nobody might resolve what Bengalis ought to eat.“How can Bengalis not have fish and meat?” he stated, including that folks in Bengal would proceed with their conventional meals practices. He additionally invoked Swami Vivekananda whereas defending the consumption of meat and fish in Bengal’s non secular traditions.

Different BJP leaders, together with Dilip Ghosh, additionally stated meals selections had been a matter of non-public desire and referred to the place of meat in some Bengali non secular traditions.The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) additionally discovered itself navigating the controversy following statements made throughout an interactive session with Kolkata puja organizers. Swami Nirgunananda, a member of the VHP’s central advisory council, had prompt that non-vegetarian meals stalls be evaded the speedy space round Durga idols and located in designated areas outdoors pandals to keep up sanctity and cleanliness.When his feedback had been interpreted as an official organisational diktat limiting meat gross sales, VHP Worldwide president Alok Kumar issued a proper clarification. “Vishva Hindu Parishad has not issued any instructions concerning the preparations at Durga Puja pandals… worship of the Goddess ought to happen in keeping with custom and the environment must be one among love and devotion,” it stated.The Kalighat temple is related to Bengal’s ‘Shakta’ custom, through which choices can embrace fish and meat. The bhog included a number of types of fish, together with different vegetarian dishes and goat meat.That custom sits considerably in a different way from the vegetarian dietary practices related to Navratri in a number of elements of north and west India.

The not-so-new ‘maach-bhaat’ row

The controversy over Shastri’s remarks comes months after fish and meat had already grow to be a part of the BJP-TMC contest over Bengali id throughout the meeting election marketing campaign.Mamata Banerjee repeatedly alleged throughout the marketing campaign {that a} BJP authorities would limit what Bengalis might eat. At a rally in Purulia on March 29, she stated: “BJP says cannot eat fish, meat, eggs.” She subsequently argued that restrictions on meat and fish gross sales in some BJP-ruled states confirmed what might lie forward for Bengal.The problem grew to become distinguished sufficient for senior BJP leaders to handle it straight. Amit Shah clarified that “consumption of fish, eggs is not going to be stopped” if the BJP got here to energy in Bengal, calling Mamata’s declare a hearsay.Prime Minister Narendra Modi additionally sought to interact with the difficulty, although from a distinct path. At a rally in Haldia, he spoke about Bengal’s fish manufacturing and stated the state might grow to be self-sufficient in fish below a BJP authorities. “In 15 years, TMC could not even offer you fish. We created a separate ministry for fisheries,” he stated, contrasting Bengal’s manufacturing with that of Bihar and Assam.The BJP’s marketing campaign additionally included extra seen efforts to counter the notion that it was against Bengali meals habits. Leaders publicly ate fish and meat, whereas BJP candidates and staff used fish in marketing campaign imagery. On Poila Boishakh, TMC organised a “Maach-Bhaat-e-Bangali” procession, alleging that the BJP would impose restrictions on fish and meat.The argument didn’t stay confined to the 2 events. TMC leaders offered meals as a part of the broader query of Bengali id. BJP leaders, in flip, sought to stress that dietary selections would stay a matter of non-public freedom.

The Bengal and Bengali dilemma for Suvendu

Months after the BJP swept Bengal in meeting elections, the opposition has sought to make use of the identical “outsider” cost to attempt to alienate the saffron social gathering from the voters. Congress filed a police grievance towards Shastri, alleging that his feedback harm Bengali sentiments, whereas invoking the “outsider” argument that the TMC had used towards the BJP throughout the election. Congress’s grievance described his remarks as an affront to Bengali traditions and social concord.The TMC, which had made fish and meat a part of its cultural-identity marketing campaign towards the BJP, can also be once more utilizing the comment towards the social gathering.As CM, nevertheless, Adhikari has additionally taken a place on protests towards Shastri.On September 10, he directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to arrest those that allegedly burnt Shastri’s pictures throughout a protest in Bhawanipur. “Not in Bengal,” he stated, making clear that burning pictures as a type of protest wouldn’t be tolerated.The transfer has produced one other political contest. Congress has criticised the arrests and accused the federal government of defending Shastri whereas appearing towards these protesting his remarks. One Congress chief, Atanu Das, was subsequently arrested.