West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said people have the constitutional freedom to choose their food habits and religious practices, in an apparent response to godman Dhirendra Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, over his purported remarks on Bengalis eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja.

Also Read: Congress leader summoned by police for ‘burning’ Bageshwar Baba’s photo over Durga Puja remark

Speaking at a summit organised by a private news channel on Saturday (September 12, 2026), Mr. Adhikari said people were free to follow the religious practices of their choice, and that nobody should be subjected to abuse for such personal decisions.

“Dharma gurus (Religious leaders) of different faiths express their views. It’s for people to decide whether they want to accept them or not. Our great Constitution, written by Babasaheb Ambedkar, has given you the freedom,” he said.

Referring to his own food habits, Mr. Adhikari said he had offered prayers at the Kalighat temple here on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya on Thursday (September 10) and subsequently had ‘prasad’ comprising fish head and Basanti pulao.

“On the day of Kaushiki Amavasya, I offered prayers to Maa Kali at Kalighat. After that, I had Basanti pulao with fish, including its head, which had been offered to the goddess,” he said.

The Chief Minister also said he would visit the Baghbazar Gaudiya Math on September 19 on the occasion of Radha Ashtami, where he would have ‘satvik’ (pure vegetarian) food.

“On Radh Ashtami, I have been invited to Baghbazar Gaudiya Math, where I will go and accept ‘satvik’ food,” he said.

Mr. Adhikari said people had the right to follow different religious traditions and questioned the practice of targeting or abusing individuals over their food choices.

“We have the right to follow Vaishnav traditions or other traditions. This right has been given to us by our religion and also by the Constitution. But what kind of right or freedom of speech is it to target someone, make videos around them and hurl obscene abuses at them?” he asked.

The Chief Minister’s remarks came amid a controversy over comments by Bageshwar Baba, who had described non-vegetarian food as “dirty” and called for restrictions on its consumption during Durga Puja.

The Calcutta High Court has asked the West Bengal government to frame guidelines for the transportation of accused persons to ensure that they are not pelted with eggs.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee on Tuesday (July 1, 2026) also asked the State for existing guidelines for the transportation of accused persons and asked the State to file an action-taken report on action taken against egg attacks. The bench also added that arrests of one or two persons will not solve the problem and it was a question of social awareness.

There has been a spate of egg attacks on accused persons, particularly local Trinamool leaders, councillors and former MLAs after their arrest since the change of regime in West Bengal. People gathered outside police stations, courts and even outside the residence of the accused and threw eggs at those in custody. On most occasions, the eggs have landed on the person, soiling the accused person’s clothes and face. The egg attacks have become so frequent that even sitting MPs and MLAs like Saugata Roy and Kunal Ghosh had to face the ordeal.

Most of the time, the people indulging in attacks say that the local Trinamool leaders had taken money and tortured them and justified their action by saying it was public anger. On Tuesday (July 1, 2026), West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said that throwing eggs was not part of the BJP culture or agenda. “ If such incidents keep happening, BJP’s reputation will be dragged through the mud,” he said.

The egg attacks are happening at a time when the BJP government in West Bengal has engaged ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) to provide mid-day meals for children in schools across Kolkata, thereby removing eggs from the menu of school children.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday (May 11, 2026) said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of development for all was the guiding principle for the new BJP government in the State.

Mr. Adhikari visited the BJP office at Salt Lake in the eastern part of Kolkata along with the party’s State unit chief Samik Bhattacharya to attend organisational meeting. Before leaving his residence in the New Town area of Kolkata, Mr. Adhikari told reporters, “We have lots of responsibilities. We have to work for the people.” He then visited Mr. Bhattacharya’s house and together went to the BJP office in Salt Lake. “Our guiding principle will be the ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikash’ vision of Prime Minister Modi,” the Chief Minister said while acknowledging the greetings of hundreds of people gathered at the spot.

The BJP office in Salt Lake was decked up with flowers, with a protrait of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and an image of ‘Bharat Mata’ took pride of place.

Amid chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ at the party office, Adhikari was greeted with 207 lotuses by the party workers, signifying the number of seats BJP won in the Assembly polls.

Several BJP MLAs including the legislator of Bidhannagar, Sharadwat Mukherjee, as well as party leaders such as Locket Chatterjee and Saumitra Khan were present.