{
  "id": 13750856,
  "title": "‘Buy biryani from Hindu shops’ poster campaign sparks row in Bengal's Siliguri ahead of Durga Puja",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/buy-biryani-from-hindu-shops-poster-campaign-sparks-row-in-bengals",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-11T16:06:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/west-bengal/buy-biryani-from-hindu-shops-poster-campaign-sparks-row-in-bengals-siliguri-ahead-of-durga-puja/article71572449.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "The posters were put up across the city by the Hindu Jagaran Manch, an affiliate of the RSS, ahead of the Durga Puja festivities",
  "key_points": [
    "Hindu Jagaran Manch campaign urges buying biryani from Hindu shops for Durga Puja.",
    "Campaign by RSS-affiliated group sparks controversy in Siliguri, West Bengal.",
    "Critics condemn campaign as violation of secularism and democracy."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Siliguri posters urging buys from Hindu-owned shops trigger political row",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/siliguri-posters-urging-buys-from-hindu-owned-shops-trigger-political",
        "published": "2026-10-11T14:25:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}