Puja rituals incomplete without fish, meat in many Hindu households: TMC's Abhishek on Modi's non-veg food remark

Coochbehar: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no knowledge about the culture and eating habits of the people of the country.

He said this while addressing an election rally in CoochBehar in support of TMC candidate Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia.

"The PM said those who eat fish during this holy month are not devout Hindus. He said they are Mughals. My question to the PM, does he know that in our culture Durga Puja, Kali Puja rituals are not complete without 'maach' (fish), without 'mangshho' (meat) in many Hindu households? What his minister Nisith Pramanik will say about this?" the Diamond Harbour MP, said.

"We practice religion at home but at the time of voting should we ask votes in the name of dharma (religion) or karma (deeds)," Banerjee said.

At an election meeting in Udhampur on Friday, Modi made a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, accusing the opposition leaders of demonstrating a "Mughal mindset" and "teasing" the people of the country by consuming non-vegetarian food in the holy month of Sawan and posting a video of it online.

Without naming anyone, Modi said individuals have the freedom to choose their dietary preferences, but the opposition leaders' intention behind their actions matter significantly.

Modi said eating non-vegetarian food during Navratri and Sawan hurt the feelings of people.

Describing the BJP as "anti-Bengal", Banerjee said five innocent persons, who went to cast votes, were gunned down in firing on April 10, 2021, at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district by central forces and the BJP supported the trigger-happy forces.

Neither Union minister and Coochbear MP Nisith Pramanik nor any of his party leaders came to help the family of Sitalkuchi victims but only the TMC, he claimed.

"BJP is one party which is not in sync with the ethos of Bengal. They are like migratory visitors who surface before the polls and seek votes in the name of religion?" he said.

Banerjee said BJP's ignorance about Bengal surfaces when Union Home Minister Amit Shah spells Balurghat as Belurghat. Another heavyweight BJP leader said Tagore was born in Santiniketan.

Banerjee alleged because of the anti-Bengal approach of BJP, the Modi government is delaying the sanction of funds to rebuild damaged houses in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Coochbehar after the devastating storm recently and even the EC is not giving consent to the administration to start the process.

"BJP can conspire against us, against Bengal, against the people of the state. But the BJP cannot intimidate and muzzle our voice of protest. Our state government mobilised state's own resources to help people get wages, build their houses despite centre holding back funds under 100 days work and Awas yojana," he said.

Banerjee earlier in the day walked in a colourful roadshow covering over a km accompanied by TMC candidate from Coochbehar Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia.