A remark on what Bengalis should eat during Durga Puja has now turned into a political and police controversy, with the West Bengal Congress seeking action against Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba.

Senior Congress leader Manash Sarkar filed a police complaint against Shastri, alleging that his recent comments on Bengali food habits and Durga Puja had hurt the sentiments of the Bengali community. Sarkar also demanded an apology from the self-styled godman.

Shastri had appealed to Bengalis to refrain from eating non-vegetarian food during the Durga Puja festivities. He also described those who consume meat on religious occasions as 'hypocrites', triggering criticism in the state.

Reacting to the remarks, Sarkar questioned Shastri's authority to comment on the dietary choices of Bengalis.

'He called us hypocrites. It means that we do anything in the name of religion. He is telling us what we should or should not eat. He is asking why we eat non-vegetarian food, why we eat fish, mutton and chicken. Is he going to decide what we should eat?' Sarkar asked.

Sarkar further questioned whether BJP leaders in Bengal agreed with Shastri's comments.

The controversy also reached the South Kolkata District Congress Committee, with its president Pradip Prasad filing a separate complaint seeking registration of an FIR against Shastri.

Prasad said the remarks, if made as reported, were 'deeply hurtful' to Bengali sentiments, particularly because they concerned Durga Puja, a festival with deep cultural, social and religious significance in West Bengal.

The BJP, however, attempted to distance itself from Shastri's comments, stressing that fish and meat are an established part of Bengali food traditions.

BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said, 'It is part of our West Bengal customs.

Durga Puja is approaching; we Bengalis eat luchi on Ashtami, and we also eat kochi patha (meat) on Navami. We eat what we eat.'

State minister Dilip Ghosh also defended the tradition of eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja, saying it should not be treated as a controversy.

'Bengal has a tradition of goat sacrifice during Durga Puja, and that is consumed as prasad. Eating goat meat here is not a matter of controversy,' he said.

The exchange has consequently placed food, faith and Bengali cultural practices at the centre of a fresh political controversy in West Bengal, with the Congress demanding police action against Shastri while the BJP has sought to underline the state's longstanding culinary traditions.