Kamal Ghorui
KOLKATA: After Trinamool’s attack over an alleged “BJP’s fish-meat ban”, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday asserted that people in the state “will eat whatever they want to eat”, adding that the party would only oppose the open sale of beef.Bhattacharya’s clarification came in response to questions on Bihar govt’s order recent order regulating the open sale of meat — a move that drew sharp criticism from TMC and CM Mamata Banerjee.
Addressing the issue earlier on Tuesday, Banerjee alleged, “If BJP comes to power, they would ban meat and fish in Bengal. I saw Bihar’s deputy CM say that fish and meat can’t be sold in open markets. Only those who have a licence can sell meat indoors. So, will everyone sell meat and fish in shopping malls? Only a few have the economic strength to do so. Most fish sellers sell fresh fish on the streets here. This is how they earn their bread. I condemn this politics.”Rejecting the charge, Bhattacharya told reporters, “They did not say such a thing. They do not have the courage to say it. If anyone says this, will we even support it? No. People in Bihar — and certainly not in Bengal — will accept it. Can Bengalis not eat fish? Bengal will have its fish and meat. Only that stuff you sell in the open will not be allowed by BJP.” Bhattacharya was referring to open beef sales.State BJP netas said the clarification was necessary to remove confusion around the party’s position.On Feb 13, the BJP’s Bengal minder Amit Malviya, in a post on X criticising TMC over fish imports—both foreign and domestic—wrote, “Bengal is being turned into an import-dependent state. Fish is not just food in Bengal — it is culture, livelihood and identity.”Trinamool countered the charge, stating that Bengal is the country’s second-highest fish producer after Andhra Pradesh. In a post on X, the party said: “With elections approaching, BJP suddenly appears to have rediscovered the economic, social, cultural, and sentimental significance of fish in Bengali life. Now comes the hurried course correction to cover tracks and save face.”
