BJP Leader Amit Rakshit Rejects ‘Non-Vegetarian Food’ Formula for Hinduism, Defends Bengali Hindu Traditions Ahead of Tripura Village Council Polls

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 8, 2026

A fresh debate over Hindu religious practices and food habits has surfaced in Tripura and West Bengal after some BJP leaders and supporters began publicly arguing that non-vegetarian food should be avoided during Durga Puja. The controversy intensified following remarks attributed to spiritual preacher Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, who reportedly said that those consuming non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja are “paashanda” Bengalis and that Hindus should give up non-vegetarian food during religious observances.

However, the position has drawn a strong rebuttal from Tripura Pradesh BJP vice-president Amit Rakshit, who publicly disagreed with the assertion and defended the diversity of Hindu religious traditions, particularly the longstanding food and Shakta traditions of Bengali Hindus.

Rakshit made it clear that he does not accept the idea that his understanding of Hinduism should be defined by somebody else. In a strongly worded statement, he said, “My definition of Hindutva will not be decided by anyone else.”

While maintaining respect for Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, Rakshit said he was “completely opposed” to the suggestion that Hindus who consume non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja should be considered religiously inferior.

According to Rakshit, Hinduism cannot be reduced to a single, uniform set of rituals, dietary practices or customs. He argued that Hindu society across India has historically followed remarkably diverse traditions, ranging from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Bengal, Assam and Tripura.

He emphasised that this diversity is not a weakness but one of the defining strengths of the Sanatan tradition.

‘Hinduism Is Not a One-Colour, One-Dimensional Religious System’

Rakshit pointed out that the dietary habits and religious practices of Hindu communities differ substantially according to region, sect, family tradition and local culture. Shaiva, Shakta, Vaishnava, Smarta and numerous folk traditions have coexisted within the broader Hindu civilisational framework for centuries.

Against this backdrop, he questioned the attempt to project the dietary practices associated with Navratri in certain parts of North India as the only acceptable model of Hindu religious observance for the entire country.

“The attempt to establish the food practices of a particular region of North India as the only acceptable Hindu practice for all Indian Hindus is historically incorrect and religiously narrow,” Rakshit argued.

He said that if an individual chooses to follow a vegetarian diet during Navratri because of personal faith, that choice deserves complete respect. At the same time, he stressed that the religious and cultural practices of a Shakta Bengali Hindu deserve exactly the same respect.

Defence of Bengali Food and Shakta Traditions

Rakshit also highlighted the historical relationship between Bengali Hindu culture and fish. Bengal's riverine geography has historically made fish an important component of the region's food culture, while Bengali Shakta traditions have also developed distinctive ritual practices around offerings and worship.

He argued that non-vegetarian food has never universally been treated as “impure” within all Hindu traditions. He also referred to longstanding practices associated with several Shakta traditions, including ritual sacrifice and the distribution or consumption of offerings in particular religious contexts.

Fish, he noted, has also acquired cultural associations with auspiciousness, prosperity and good fortune in sections of Bengali Hindu society.

Therefore, according to Rakshit, it would be historically and culturally inaccurate to suggest that Bengali Hindus must abandon their traditional food practices simply because another region follows a different religious dietary pattern.

‘Hindutva Is Not a Food Menu’

One of the strongest messages in Rakshit's statement was his assertion that dietary choices cannot be used to determine a person's Hindu identity.

“Who eats vegetarian food and who eats fish cannot be the basis for issuing anyone a certificate of Hindutva,” he said.

He further declared that “Hindutva is not a food menu.”

According to him, Hindutva represents a civilisation in which multiple traditions—including Shaiva, Shakta, Vaishnava and Smarta traditions as well as countless regional and folk practices—have survived side by side for thousands of years.

Rakshit also argued that Bengali Hindus do not need outsiders to tell them how they should worship Goddess Durga or what they should eat during Durga Puja.

“Bengalis have carried their own culture of worshipping their Mother for thousands of years,” he said, asserting that the community's religious traditions cannot simply be replaced by practices originating in another region.

The controversy has also generated strong reactions on social media, with many Bengali users objecting to attempts to prescribe a uniform dietary code during Durga Puja.

A section of social-media users argued that Durga Puja is not merely a religious ceremony involving mantras, anjali and fasting, but also the biggest social and cultural festival for Bengalis. Family gatherings, traditional meals, hospitality, new clothes, socialising and community celebrations are all integral parts of the Bengali Durga Puja experience.

They questioned whether a Bengali family should be considered less Hindu merely because it prepares fish or meat on a particular day of the festival.

Many users also emphasised that food habits are closely connected with family traditions, regional history, culture and individual freedom.

The broader argument emerging from the controversy is that Hindu religious practice varies considerably across India.

In some regions, devotees observe strict vegetarianism during particular festivals. In other traditions, fish forms part of ritual offerings, while certain Shakta traditions have historically maintained practices involving animal sacrifice and associated offerings.

Consequently, critics of the “no non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja” argument contend that one regional practice should not automatically be elevated into a compulsory religious rule for all Hindus.

They argue that the essence of India's Hindu traditions lies precisely in this plurality.

For many Bengalis, Goddess Durga represents not merely a particular dietary discipline but Shakti, the triumph of good over evil and the victory of righteousness over injustice.

The controversy assumes additional political significance in Tripura because it comes at a politically sensitive time, with elections to the ADC Village Councils approaching.

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri is perceived by sections of the BJP's support base as being close to the broader ideological ecosystem surrounding the party. His reported comments on Bengali food habits have therefore raised concerns among some BJP leaders and supporters about their possible political impact in Tripura, where Bengali Hindu voters as well as tribal communities constitute important sections of the electorate.

Tripura has a distinctive social and political composition, and political observers may closely watch whether debates over food habits and religious practices develop into a wider cultural or electoral issue.

Against this backdrop, Rakshit's intervention can be viewed as an attempt to draw a distinction between Hindutva as a broad civilisational identity and a rigid prescription concerning food habits.

His statement also appears aimed at reassuring Bengali Hindus who may feel that their traditional cultural practices are being questioned or delegitimised.

Rakshit concluded his argument by stressing that strengthening Sanatan Dharma requires respecting its internal diversity rather than imposing the customs of one region on the entire country.

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