BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari Honours Men Who Thrashed Chicken Vendors at Gita Event

In a move that has sent shockwaves across West Bengal’s political landscape, Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday personally felicitated three men who were arrested for brutally assaulting two chicken-patty vendors during a mass Bhagavad Gita recital programme held at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground on December 7. The trio — arrested by Kolkata Police on Wednesday night following widespread public outrage — walked out of Bankshall Court on bail the same day and were immediately received and garlanded by Adhikari in full public view.

Posting photographs of the felicitation on Facebook and other social media platforms, Adhikari launched a blistering attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, declaring, “You may unleash your loyalist police on Sanatanis, but you cannot suppress the voice of millions who follow eternal dharma.” He described the incident as part of an ongoing “fight to protect religion” and vowed that neither arrests nor intimidation would deter Hindus from safeguarding their faith and sacred spaces from what he termed “deliberate provocation”.

Speaking to a large gathering of reporters outside his south Kolkata residence, Adhikari placed his religious identity above all constitutional and political positions. “I am a legislator, Leader of the Opposition, BJP member — all that comes later. First and foremost, I am a Hindu. When Hindu brothers are persecuted for upholding dharma, my primary duty is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them. This is the eternal teaching of the Bhagavad Gita itself,” he asserted, adding that the voice of justice continues to prevail silently across Bharat even in the face of alleged state oppression.

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The controversy erupted when a group of youths, claiming to be offended by the sale of non-vegetarian chicken patties at a religious event organised to mark Gita Jayanti, allegedly assaulted the two vendors, snatched their food carts, and forced them to perform sit-ups while holding their ears as punishment. A video of the public humiliation went viral on social media, triggering nationwide condemnation and prompting Kolkata Police to register a case suo motu and arrest the three accused within hours. Undeterred by the criticism, Adhikari revealed that he had personally activated his legal cell, coordinated with multiple senior advocates, and ensured the accused secured bail on nominal personal bonds of ₹1,000 each.

The open glorification of the accused by the Leader of the Opposition has sharply escalated political tensions in West Bengal ahead of crucial municipal elections. While the Trinamool Congress has accused Adhikari of promoting “goonda raj” and “Taliban-style moral policing”, BJP state leaders have rallied behind him, terming the episode a legitimate expression of Hindu sentiments. With both sides digging in, the episode has once again brought the fault lines of religious identity and law enforcement into sharp focus in the state.

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