Vishwa Hindu Parishad urges no nonvegetarian near West Bengal pandals
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has stirred up conversation in West Bengal by advising Durga Puja organizers not to serve nonvegetarian food near festival pandals, saying it is about keeping the event sacred.
The chief priest of Bageshwar Dham, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, backed this idea, and Suvendu Adhikari shared the stage with him and encouraged him to open a center in West Bengal.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad denies forcing vegetarianism
Not everyone is on board. Critics say the VHP is trying to impose dietary rules, which has added fuel to political debates ahead of the 2026 state elections.
The VHP clarified that it is not forcing vegetarianism.
For context, Durga Puja is a huge deal in Bengal, celebrated by over 40,000 community Durga Pujas and inscribed in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2021.