Suvendu Adhikari orders arrests over burning of Bageshwar Baba portraits in Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to arrest people who allegedly burnt portraits of self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham during a protest in south Kolkata.

Speaking in the Assembly during a special session, Adhikari said the protesters had burnt portraits of Shastri outside Bhabanipur police station on September 8 over his remarks on non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja.

“A saint had recently visited our state and spoke in his own way about the ideals of patriotism, nationalism, united nationhood and this country's tradition and culture. Those who want to accept them can do it, while others are at liberty to reject them. He did not impose anything on anyone,” Adhikari said.

“I am directing the CP from here to arrest those people. We will not tolerate such activities in this state anymore. There has been enough appeasement politics here,” he said.

The Congress, however, defended the protest. Ashutosh Chatterjee, general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, who led the demonstration, said he was proud of the protest.

“As a proud Bengali, I wear this as a badge of honour,” Chatterjee said.

He also accused the Trinamool Congress government of appeasement and questioned why no action had been taken against Shastri over his remarks.

The controversy began after Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, spoke at an event in Liluah, Howrah, where he urged people not to consume or sell non-vegetarian food near Durga Puja pandals during Navratri.

He described such food as “dirty” and called those who consumed it “pakhandi”, or hypocrites, while appealing to Hindus in Bengal to boycott the practice. He also sought support from the audience for his proposed boycott.

The remarks drew criticism from political leaders and the Congress, which filed a police complaint seeking action against him.

Congress leaders from Central and South Kolkata later lodged a written complaint at Bhabanipur police station and staged a protest outside the station, where banners and Shastri’s picture were burnt.

Chatterjee said the complaint had requested that it be treated as an FIR but alleged that the party had not received a copy even after 48 hours.

“The chief minister has time to talk about this in Vidhan Sabha, but he cannot ensure that we get the FIR copy,” he said.

BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya had earlier said Bengalis had the right to follow their traditional food habits.

Adhikari also linked the controversy to the upcoming Assembly bypolls and accused the TMC of pursuing appeasement politics. The bypolls to two Assembly seats are scheduled for October 6.