Kolkata, 10 September (H.S.): A political controversy has erupted in West Bengal over Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s directive to arrest those who allegedly burnt a photograph of Dhirendra Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, during a protest outside Bhabanipur Police Station.

The directive came amid a growing political debate over Shastri’s reported remarks concerning non-vegetarian food and his comments on Bengali culture. Protests were held outside Bhabanipur Police Station, where demonstrators allegedly burnt his photograph. An FIR has also been lodged over the controversial remarks.

Opposing the Chief Minister’s directive, Pradesh Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar accused the state government of attempting to suppress democratic rights by creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

In a social media post on Thursday, Sarkar said the Congress had never bowed before injustice and asserted that its history had been shaped by protest, resistance and struggle. He said that despite repeated instances of repression against the party, Congress workers had continued to follow the path of protest.

Targeting the state government, Sarkar alleged that Congress workers were being threatened with arrest for protesting against what he described as derogatory remarks about Bengali culture and traditions.

“Bageshwar Baba has belittled Bengali culture and traditions, made insulting remarks about Bengalis and mocked Durga Puja, which is at the heart of Bengali life. When Congress workers organised protests and lodged FIRs at police stations against these objectionable remarks, the administrative head of the state stood in the Assembly and threatened to arrest the protesters,” Sarkar alleged.

Sarkar invoked the contributions of Sri Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda to Bengali culture and India's broader civilisational tradition. He said Bengal had historically represented an open, liberal and inclusive outlook.

He further alleged that an “outsider” could not insult Bengalis and their cultural traditions while standing on Bengal’s soil, adding that such remarks would not be accepted by the people of the state.

Sarkar also accused the state administration of deliberately creating a climate of fear. He questioned the silence of the government when, according to him, people from outside the state allegedly continued to make disparaging remarks about Bengal and Bengalis.

The Congress leader also objected to what he described as an attempt to create a divide between Bengali-speaking people and non-Bengali-speaking residents of the state. He said many people who do not speak Bengali but have lived in West Bengal for years and embraced its culture and traditions should also be considered part of Bengal’s social fabric.

Sarkar said he was currently outside West Bengal for organisational work but had instructed party workers to lodge FIRs against Shastri at police stations across the state. He said he would return to Kolkata from Delhi and personally organise and lead the protest programme at police stations where FIRs had not yet been filed.

“Indian National Congress has never been suppressed through threats and it never will be,” Sarkar said.

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What did Suvendu Adhikari say?

The Chief Minister issued the arrest directive while participating in the Assembly debate on the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Thursday.

Referring to Dhirendra Shastri’s recent visit to Bengal, Adhikari said the spiritual leader had spoken about patriotism, nationalism, a united India and the country’s traditions and culture. He said people were free to accept or reject his views.

However, referring to the protest outside Bhabanipur Police Station, the Chief Minister told the Assembly that he had seen people burning Shastri’s photograph.

“I am telling the CP from here that those people should be arrested,” Adhikari said, directing the Kolkata Police Commissioner to take action against the protesters.

The Chief Minister’s remarks have since triggered a fresh political confrontation, with the Congress terming the proposed action against protesters an attack on democratic rights and freedom of expression.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh