Veg or Non-Veg? Ankan Dutta’s ‘No Lessons Needed’ Dig

The debate over vegetarian and non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja has taken another political turn in West Bengal, with BJP spokesperson Ankan Dutta asserting that Bengalis do not need to be taught what constitutes vegetarian or non-vegetarian food.

Dutta’s remarks come amid a growing controversy over comments made by spiritual preacher Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, during his recent visit to Bengal. Shastri’s remarks on eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja have sparked criticism, with political parties and sections of Bengali society questioning any attempt to prescribe what people should eat during the festival.

The controversy has gained momentum ahead of Durga Puja, traditionally one of Bengal’s biggest cultural celebrations. The issue has moved beyond food preferences, with political leaders increasingly framing it as a question of Bengali cultural identity and the freedom of individuals to decide their own dietary choices.

Speaking on the controversy, BJP spokesperson Ankan Dutta said, “There is no need to teach us about vegetarian and non-vegetarian food afresh.” His comments come at a time when the debate has increasingly focused on whether any religious or political figure should be prescribing dietary practices to Bengalis during the festive season.

The remarks also come against the backdrop of criticism directed at Bageshwar Baba after he reportedly described those who eat non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja as “pakhandi” or hypocritical and urged people to give up non-vegetarian food during the festival. The comments have drawn a sharp response in Bengal, where fish and meat have historically formed an important part of the region’s culinary culture.

The political response has not been limited to Dutta. BJP leader Dilip Ghosh has also entered the debate, making his position clear in favour of non-vegetarian food. According to reports, Ghosh said that goat meat can even be offered as prasad and questioned attempts to impose restrictions on Bengali food habits during Puja.

The controversy has also reached the police station. The West Bengal Congress has reportedly filed a complaint at Bhawanipur police station against Bageshwar Baba over his remarks, adding a legal dimension to what had initially been a cultural and political debate.

At the heart of the controversy is a larger question: who gets to decide what Bengalis should eat during their biggest festival? While vegetarian food has an established place in Bengali religious traditions, the region’s food culture has never been exclusively vegetarian. Fish, meat and a wide variety of non-vegetarian dishes have long been part of Bengali cuisine, with dietary practices varying between families, communities and individual religious traditions.

The latest political statements indicate that the food debate is unlikely to die down soon. With Durga Puja approaching, the disagreement over vegetarian and non-vegetarian food has now become part of a wider political argument over culture, religious practice and individual choice in Bengal.

For the BJP, Dutta’s statement appears to underline a position that dietary choices should not be dictated from outside Bengal’s own cultural context. For its critics, however, the controversy reflects concerns about attempts to introduce a more uniform religious prescription into a region known for its diverse traditions.

As the debate intensifies, one thing is clear: what began as a discussion over food has rapidly become another political flashpoint in Bengal, with the state’s distinctive cultural identity now firmly at the centre of the argument.