Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Dhirendra Shastri’s Durga Puja Food Remarks Spark Bengal Row
Dhirendra Shastri said Hindus should not eat non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja.
He also said meat should not be sold near Durga idols.
Many Bengali Hindus traditionally eat meat during the festival.
Some also consider animal sacrifice an important ritual.
The Trinamool Congress criticized Shastri’s comments and linked them to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
It said Bengalis should be free to celebrate Durga Puja according to their culture.
BJP leader Tathagata Roy said he disagreed with Shastri and eats non-vegetarian food during Navaratri.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad proposed placing meat stalls outside pandals rather than banning non-vegetarian food entirely.
The remarks led to criticism and a debate over religious customs and personal choice.
Dhirendra Shastri urged Hindus in Kolkata to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja and at festival pandals.
Shastri said meat should not be sold near goddess Durga’s idol and called for a boycott of those who eat it at such gatherings.
The Trinamool Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to remove fish and meat from Bengalis’ plates.
BJP leader Tathagata Roy disagreed with Shastri, saying he eats non-vegetarian food during Navaratri and remains fully Hindu.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad suggested keeping non-vegetarian food stalls outside pandals but said it was not demanding entirely vegetarian celebrations.
- Who
- Dhirendra Shastri, the Trinamool Congress, BJP leader Tathagata Roy, and the Vishva Hindu Parishad are central to the dispute.
- What
- Shastri urged Hindus to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja and called for meat not to be sold near Durga idols.
- When
- Shastri made the remarks on a Sunday; Tathagata Roy responded on Monday, while the festival is scheduled for October 6 to October 10.
- Where
- The comments were made at an event in Kolkata and concern Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal.
- Why
- The dispute concerns whether non-vegetarian food should be restricted around Durga Puja pandals, despite its place in Bengali Hindu customs.
Cultural Choice and Diversity
Traditional Festival Restrictions
Eating non-vegetarian food
Cultural Choice and Diversity
The Trinamool Congress and Riju Dutta said Bengalis should celebrate Durga Puja according to their culture, identity, history, rituals, and traditions. Tathagata Roy also said he eats non-vegetarian food during Navaratri and remains fully Hindu.
Traditional Festival Restrictions
Dhirendra Shastri said Hindus should avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja and at festival gatherings, which he described as inappropriate.
Food near pandals
Cultural Choice and Diversity
Critics said outside groups or political parties should not dictate how Bengalis celebrate Durga Puja or interfere with their customs.
Traditional Festival Restrictions
Shastri said meat must not be sold near Durga idols, while the Vishva Hindu Parishad suggested placing non-vegetarian stalls outside pandals and warned it could intervene if committees did not follow its suggestions.
- Festival dates
- October 6 to October 10
- Location of remarks
- Kolkata
- Speaker
- Dhirendra Shastri, head of the Bageshwar Dham temple
- Traditional practice
- Eating meat during Durga Puja is common among Bengali Hindus, and animal sacrifice is important to some.
- Vishva Hindu Parishad proposal
- Keep non-vegetarian food stalls in designated areas outside pandals.
- Cultural recognition
- Kolkata’s Durga Puja was added to UNESCO’s representative list of intangible cultural heritage in 2021.