Bageshwar Dham Peethadhishwar Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri at the Liluah event
I am 100% Hindu and will remain so,” Roy wrote on his X handle. Bengalis won’t have fish or mutton? Former BJP governor and senior BJP neta Tathagata Roy stated that he ate fish and meat during Navaratri and won’t offer any explanation to anyone regarding his choices. I won’t give an explanation to anyone for why I eat it.
Kolkata: After Bageshwar Dham Peethadhishwar Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri requested the “Hindus of Bengal” to ensure non-vegetarian food is kept away from Durga Puja venues and urged people to “boycott” those who eat non-veg during Navaratri, BJP seniors on Monday attempted to douse the controversy, saying neither a party nor any sadhu can dictate the food habits of the people. Responding to the controversy, Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said, “No religious neta or political party will decide the food we eat. Even Swami Vivekananda approved of it. Is anyone above him in stature? Dhirendra Shastri-ji has the right to appeal for veg, but it is not binding. He added, “BJP does not have any opinion about anyone’s food habits in Bengal. Bengalis will do what they are accustomed to. Neither any sadhu nor a party can determine the food habits of the people. Even Vivekananda spoke about offering goats to Maa Kali. There cannot be anyone above his stature. Whether people want to listen to him or not is their personal choice. However, asking people to eat vegetarian food is an expression of a personal opinion. There are people who promote vegan diets. It is absolutely their outlook. Posting Bhattacharya’s statement, Bengal BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar wrote on X, “There is nothing wrong with encouraging or advising people to embrace vegetarianism. Everyone is entitled to their own choices and beliefs. But no one has the right to dictate what a person should eat in their own home or how they should live their life. A Bengali will eat fish and meat. Swami Vivekananda himself spoke and lived in a tradition where such food was not treated as something to be ashamed of. So who has the right to decide what Bengalis should eat? The traditional practices associated with the worship of Maa Kali, including the customary offering of animal sacrifice, must also be respected. Freedom of choice in food, freedom of faith, and respect for Bengal’s traditions must go hand in hand. “I respect Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Shastri as a spiritual guru, but whether I follow his advice or not is entirely up to me. This diversity is the hallmark of Hinduism…I humbly inform you that I even eat fish and meat during Navratri.