'Buy biryani from Hindu-owned shops': Posters spark row in Siliguri
What's the story
Posters asking people to buy meat and biryani from Hindu-owned shops have appeared in Siliguri, West Bengal. The posters were put up by the Hindu Jagran Manch, a local Hindu group. They have been placed at various locations across the city, including near the Tarun Tirtha Club's Durga Puja grounds in Bharat Nagar. The posters read, "Buy meat from Hindu-owned shops," and "There is no ban on eating biryani. Eat biryani, but buy it from a Hindu-owned shop."
Campaign message
Campaign sparks political debate
The campaign has sparked a political debate over religious identity and consumer choices during the Durga Puja festival.
Abhishek Das of Hindu Jagran Manch said they wanted to convey a message of Hindu unity.
"We put up these posters ourselves. It's not just Bharat Nagar; the posters are in front of various Puja pandals... Through these posters, we at the Hindu Jagran Manch wanted to convey a message of Hindu unity," Das was quoted as saying by India Today.
Political response
Opposition leaders question impact on religious coexistence
State Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh has distanced himself from the poster campaign, saying he doesn't know who put them up.
The posters have drawn criticism from opposition leaders who question their impact on West Bengal's religious coexistence.
Former Siliguri mayor and Left leader Ashok Bhattacharya slammed the campaign and accused Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading religious divisions.
Secularism defense
Former mayor calls for police action
Another former Siliguri mayor, Gautam Deb, also criticized the posters as "unfortunate" for a secular state like West Bengal.
"This kind of campaign is never acceptable in a Bengal that stands for the harmony of all religions," he was quoted as saying.
Deb said if the posters were unconstitutional, appropriate police action should be taken.