Siliguri posters urging buys from Hindu-owned shops trigger political row

Ahead of the Durga Puja festivities, a poster campaign by the Hindu Jagaran Manch in Siliguri, West Bengal, has sparked controversy. The campaign urges people to purchase biryani and puja articles from shops owned by Hindus. The organization, affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), maintains that these messages are not an order.

Abhishek Das, a leading member of the campaign, clarifies that the appeal is to support Hindu-owned businesses to bolster the local economy. However, the campaign has drawn criticism from various quarters, including senior CPI(M) leader Asok Bhattacharya, who demands police action against those responsible. The campaign is seen as a violation of secularism and democracy, and some residents argue that Bengalis have always enjoyed biryani regardless of the shop owner's religion.

Moreover, many artisans involved in puja decorations are Muslims, and the appeal contradicts social traditions and the right to free thinking. Left parties also condemn the campaign, emphasizing the Constitution's guarantee of equal rights to all religions and the irrelevance of religion in determining one's livelihood.