Synopsis
West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh stated non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja is not controversial. He referenced Bageshwar Baba’s appeal for vegetarianism, noting saints advocate for health. Ghosh defended Bengal’s tradition of consuming goat meat as prasad. He criticized past governments for dictating people’s food choices. The minister also questioned government funding for community pujas.
ANI West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh stated non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja is not controversial. He referenced Bageshwar Baba’s appeal for vegetarianism, noting saints advocate for health. Kolkata: West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday asserted that eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja was not controversial and referred to Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri’s meat diktat to say that “saints advocate for vegetarian food for good health”.
His remarks came amid a controversy over the self-styled godman, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, making an appeal to Bengalis to give up non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja festivities and describing people who eat meat on religious occasions as “hypocrites”.
The BJP’s state leadership has sought to distance themselves from any comment or move that could be perceived as an attempt to dictate Bengal’s traditional food habits.
Talking to reporters here, Ghosh said, “Bengal has a tradition of goat sacrifice during Durga Puja, and that is consumed as prasad. Eating goat meat here is not a matter of controversy.”
“I don’t eat anything except fish. But whoever wants to eat whatever they want should be allowed to do so,” the panchayats and rural development minister said.
He questioned whether those to got to Bageshwar Baba, can say with full conviction that they do not eat fish or meat. “Saints speak from their own perspective and say that vegetarian food is good for health.”
Referring to Bengal’s religious traditions, he said non-vegetarian food had long been associated with several forms of worship in the state. “Swami Vivekananda had said that as long as the country exists, Mother Kali will eat goat meat and Shiva will play the damru.”
Ghosh also accused the previous Trinamool Congress governmen
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