Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bageshwar Dham’s famous storyteller Dhirendra Krishna Shastri has once again sparked controversy after his remarks on non-vegetarian food during Navratri at a religious gathering in West Bengal. Dhirendra Krishna Shastri's West Bengal visit and his comments on Navratri non-veg controversy triggered a debate on social media, with several users reacting to the Bageshwar Dham preacher’s statement. Responding to the Dhirendra Shastri statement, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya refused to comment on religious figures and said people would continue following traditional food practices during the festival, including eating ‘Luchi (puri)’ on Ashtami and ‘Kochi Patha (goat meat)’ on Navami.
Watch Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s statement on non-vegetarian food here:
Notably, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, associated with Bageshwar Dham, was addressing a religious gathering in Howrah, West Bengal, from September 4 to September 6. During the Howrah religious gathering, Shastri made remarks about non-vegetarian food near Durga idols and cultural practices during Navratri.
He said, “Pratimaon ke paas, non-veg nahi bikna chahiye. Bengal ke Hinduon, hum tumse prarthana karte hain, is baar ki Navratri mein tum devi ki pratima bhale hi na rakhna, par is pratima ke paas non-veg nahi bikna chahiye...(Non-vegetarian food should not be sold near idols. Hindus of Bengal, we request you that during this Navratri, even if you do not install an idol of the goddess, please ensure that non-vegetarian food is not sold near this idol).”
The Bageshwar Dham preacher in Bengal also commented on the issue of love jihad, saying, “Is baar ki Navratri mein Durga Puja karna ya na karna, par ek kaam zaroor karna, Pashchim Bengal ko love jihad mukt zaroor kar dena...(Whether you celebrate Durga Puja this Navratri or not, make sure of one thing: free West Bengal from love jihad).”
The remarks led to discussions around Durga Puja traditions in Bengal, religious practices and the ongoing West Bengal Navratri controversy.
Watch West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya’s response here:
Reacting to the Dhirendra Shastri West Bengal remarks, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said he would not comment on religious figures and acknowledged Shastri’s popularity.
He said, “Dekhiye, sant aadmi ke baare mein zyada kuch hum bol nahi sakte. Unki katha saare desh mein mashhoor hai. Aur lakhon ki tadaad mein log bhi gaye the Howrah mein sunne ke liye... Hum bhi gaye…(Look, we cannot say much about a saintly person. His discourses are well-known across the country, and lakhs of people had gathered in Howrah to listen to him. I went there too).”
Bhattacharya added that supporting vegetarianism was a personal choice and rejected criticism against those supporting it.
He said, “Isme sanskriti ko jaana ya nahi jaana, iska koi vishay nahi hai. Koi bhi aadmi shakahari ka paksh le sakta hai. Uska matlab ye nahi hai ki koi gunah hai, paap hai. Agar kisi ne ‘pakhandi’ jaisa shabd bola hai to hum uska samarthan nahi karte…(There is no question of knowing or not knowing about culture in this matter. Anyone can support vegetarianism. That does not mean it is a crime or a sin. If someone has used the word ‘hypocrite’, we do not support that).”
The Samik Bhattacharya response comes amid the wider Bengal Navratri debate, with the Dhirendra Krishna Shastri remarks continuing to generate reactions online.
