New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi On Sunday, before his roadshow in Kolkata, he prayed at Thanthania Kalibari – one of the few abodes of Goddess Kali where meat is used as ‘prasad’, which was interpreted by political circles as a strong signal from him to voters to disperse. TMCprojection bjp Being a “North Indian party” that advocates vegetarianism and is disturbed by the non-vegetarian food habits of Bengal.Thanthania Kalibari, whose deity is worshiped as Maa Siddheshwari, is one of the oldest and most revered Kali temples in Kolkata and is believed to have been frequented by Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who sang hymns to the goddess there.CM Mamata Banerjee, who has led the TMC charge, said if elected, the BJP will seek to curb the state’s meat-eating eating habits and replace it with practices in North Indian states where eating non-vegetarian food on religious auspicious days is frowned upon.She cast the BJP as a party of outsiders unfamiliar with Bengali values at the heart of her political attack, prompting a concerted effort by the national party to dispel that narrative.BJP officials, including MP Anurag Thakur, shared pictures of themselves eating “maach-bhat” during campaigning in Bengal.The BJP hopes that Modi, himself a vegetarian who observes fasting during Navratri, will send that message across with his visit to the temple.This non-vegetarian practice of ‘prasad’ was started by Ramakrishna Paramahansa, one of the most revered spiritual figures in the state. When he fell ill, his followers prayed for his speedy recovery at the temple and offered non-vegetarian ‘prasad’ to the deity.
