CM Suvendu Adhikari tucks into fish-and-pulao bhog at Kalighat temple on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya on Thursday
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.
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. 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. “May the Mother grant us strength to wipe out anti-national forces from the state,” he said. Kalighat temple authorities said bhog offered on Kaushiki Amavasya traditionally includes fish and meat alongside pulao, various bhajas (fritters), vegetable dishes, chutney, and payesh. Everything was cooked according to rituals and with great care,” a senior temple official said.
“In Bengal, non-vegetarian food is consumed behind Durga Puja pandals during Navratri. Dirty food is cooked. Shastri was in Bengal over the weekend and had attended a dinner alongside CM Suvendu Adhikari and several BJP ministers. Opposition politicians had latched on to the comments, and BJP, finding itself on the wrong side of the culture war, engaged seniors, including state party chief Samik Bhattacharya and former governor Tathagata Roy, to counter a narrative that seemed to be spinning out of control. However, it were the visuals of the chief minister — sitting on the floor and tucking into the non-vegetarian prasad at Kalighat temple — that would be working for BJP way more than any party seniors’ comments. Before having the prasad, Adhikari prayed to Goddess Kali. He offered hibiscus garlands and a red Banarasi sari, washed the deity’s feet and performed aarti. He also distributed prasad among the devotees.
“It was no different today.
Earlier, reacting to Bageshwar Baba’s comments, Samik Bhattacharya had said, “Let me live the way I want to. Bengalis will continue to eat what they have always eaten. Can Bengalis not eat fish and meat? Swami Vivekananda himself addressed this. Who stands above him?”