`Bengalis will eat fish`: CM Suvendu eats fish bhog at Kalighat amid Bageshwar Baba`s non-veg ban call, `pakhandi` remark

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly partook in a fish bhog at the historic Kalighat Temple in Kolkata, an act that coincided with a heated exchange over comments made by self‑styled saint Dhirendra Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Baba, who called for a ban on non‑vegetarian food during the Durga Puja festivities. The incident quickly drew reactions from political parties, with the Bharatiya Janata Party labeling the CM’s gesture as a deliberate affront to the religious leader’s stance.

The ceremony was held at the Kalighat Temple, a prominent pilgrimage site in Kolkata, where the chief minister joined a small group of devotees for the traditional offering. No official government directive was issued regarding dietary practices, and the event did not involve any formal policy announcement or administrative order.

The controversy stems from Shastri’s earlier statements urging devotees to abstain from meat and fish during the month‑long Durga Puja celebrations, a call that resonated with certain cultural groups but also attracted criticism for imposing dietary restrictions. Suvendu Adhikari’s participation in the fish bhog is being interpreted by analysts as a political counter‑signal aimed at defending regional culinary traditions and challenging the narrative of a non‑vegetarian ban, with potential implications for communal harmony and electoral dynamics in West Bengal.