A political controversy has broken out in West Bengal ahead of Durga Puja over posters urging people to purchase biryani and puja articles from shops owned by Hindu owners, with opposition parties seeking police action in the case.
Posters put up by RSS affiliate
The posters have been put up by the Hindu Jagaran Manch, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in Siliguri. In its defence, the organisation said the posters were an “appeal” instead of a “diktat”.
The posters across the Bengal district, as widely shared on social media, read: “No one is restricting you from eating biryani. Do eat biryani but from Hindu shops”.
TMC, CPI(M) criticise posters
The Siliguri incident is unacceptable as taste cannot be bound by religious boundaries. Biryani from a Hindu-owned shop could taste excellent or a Muslim-owned shop’s biryani could have a wonderful flavour, food is defined by taste, not religion. Such decrees cannot be accepted," Trinamool spokesperson and Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
“On the other hand, the Hindmotor controversy could have been avoided if the shop owner had exercised better judgment. They likely tried to attract customers with a catchy tagline, but such things should not be done with religious matters," he added.
Senior CPI(M) leader and former minister Asok Bhattacharya demanded police action over the posters.
"Putting up such posters is a crime in a secular, democratic nation. The administration should not only remove the posters but also arrest those behind this communal campaign," he said.
Left parties said the Constitution guarantees equal rights to people of all religions and that religion should not determine a person's livelihood.
ASLO READ: Durga Puja, garba and dandiya to bring Gurugram alive this festive season
BJP maintains distance from controversy
Bengal tourism minister Shankar Ghosh said he was unaware of who had pasted the posters, after one such poster was spotted near his residence.
“I don't know who put up these posters. Those who put them up are the ones who can say why they put up such posters,” he told India Today.
The Manch also issued a clarification, saying the messages across posters, which also included "buy puja articles from Hindu shops", were an “appeal” and not a “diktat”.
"This is not a diktat but an appeal. If people support businesses run by Hindus, it will also impact the local economy,” Hindu Jagaran Manch member Abhishek Das was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
ASLO READ: An early morning walk in Chittaranjan Park
Bengal’s secular tradition in focus
Local residents also criticised the posters, saying Bengalis have always enjoyed biryani without raising doubts about its preparation.
They also said the appeal undermined the state’s long-standing traditions of social harmony and freedom. They further mentioned the contributions of Muslim artisans while making Durga Puja decorations.