Suvendu Adhikari Bageshwar Baba controversy
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has taken a strong position over the alleged burning of Bageshwar Baba’s picture outside Bhawanipur police station. Speaking in the Assembly, Adhikari said the Kolkata Police Commissioner had been instructed to arrest (Suvendu Adhikari Bageshwar Baba controversy) those involved in the incident.
Self-styled spiritual leader Dhirendra Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, has been at the centre of controversy over his recent comments on eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja. His remarks have triggered strong reactions in West Bengal, with sections of Bengali society accusing him of commenting on the region’s cultural traditions and food habits.
A complaint was subsequently filed against Bageshwar Baba at Bhawanipur police station. There were also allegations that his picture and an effigy were burnt outside the police station. The incident has now prompted a strong response from Suvendu Adhikari.
Speaking in the Assembly, Adhikari said he had learnt about the alleged burning of Bageshwar Baba’s picture outside Bhawanipur police station. He said he had instructed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to arrest everyone involved in the incident.
According to Adhikari, a religious leader is entitled to express an opinion, while individuals are free to accept or reject it. However, he argued that disagreement with someone’s views cannot justify insulting the person or taking the law into one’s own hands.
Adhikari also targeted the Opposition over what he described as the politics of appeasement. He expressed confidence in the BJP’s electoral prospects and claimed that the party’s strength in the Assembly would increase after the upcoming by-elections.
The controversy began after Bageshwar Baba, during a religious programme in Bengal ahead of Durga Puja, criticised those who eat non-vegetarian food during the festival. He reportedly described such people as hypocritical and advised devotees to give up non-vegetarian food during the Puja period.
His comments sparked a political and social debate in Bengal. BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya had said that Bengali culture and food habits would not change because of advice from an outsider religious figure. Several other BJP leaders also voiced their support for the freedom to eat non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja.
The Chief Minister had similarly indicated that people were free to decide whether or not to follow a religious leader’s advice. However, with the alleged burning of Bageshwar Baba’s picture outside Bhawanipur police station now under scrutiny, Suvendu Adhikari has made it clear that disagreement with a religious leader’s views cannot extend to acts of insult or alleged lawbreaking.
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