Suvendu is eaten by the fish offering at the Kalighat temple in the middle of the Bageshwar Baba row

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Kalighat Temple on September 10, 2026. Photo: X/@PTI_News

Amid the controversy raging over a Madhya Pradesh religious preacher’s remarks advocating vegetarian food for Bengali Hindus during Durga Puja, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari took part in the traditional fish and pulaoat temple at Kalao bhog late on Thursday (September 10, 2026).

The Chief Minister’s video with pulao and fish was widely shared on social media, including by the West Bengal BJP. “On the sacred occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya Chief Minister Shri @SuvenduWB offered prayers to Maa Kali at Kalighat and in accordance with traditional temple customs participated in sacred bhog pulao and fish,” West Bengal BJP said on social media and shared a video.

The video surfaced days after Dhirendra Krishna Shastri alias Bageshwar Baba on September 6 appealed to Bengalis to give up non-vegetarian food during the puja.

“I want to appeal to the Hindus of Bengal that during Navratri, even if you don’t keep idols of the Goddess, don’t sell vegetables near the idols,” the self-proclaimed godman said during an event at Liluah in Howrah on June 6.

West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on September 7 expressed strong differences with the Madhya Pradesh religious preacher by saying that no one can ask Bengalis to give up non-vegetarian food.”

“How can Bengalis not have fish and meat? Even Swami Vivekananda said that Ma Kali will have mutton (as an offering). It is dangerous if anyone tries to rise above Vivekananda. This is his (Shastri’s) personal opinion,” Mr. Bhattacharya said on September 7.

However, the Chief Minister defended Mr. Shastri and ordered the police to arrest those protesting against the preacher. A Congress leader was arrested on Friday (September 11, 2026) for burning photographs of a Madhya Pradesh religious preacher.

“Those who want to accept will accept and those who don’t want to will not accept. He did not force it on anyone. I saw several people burning his photographs outside the Bhawanipore police station. I am directing the CP (Commissioner of Police) from there that these people should be arrested,” the Chief Minister said in the State Assembly on Thursday (September 10, 2026).

Several leaders of the West Bengal BJP unit, including the state unit president and several ministers, said giving up non-vegetarian food was out of the question. There is a long tradition of offering and eating non-vegetarian food during the Durga Puja festival in West Bengal.

Published – 12 Sep 2026 08:56 IST