Overview

• BJP leader Amit Malviya on June 19 accused the West Bengal government of allowing non-Hindu shopkeepers, chiefly from Murshidabad’s Suti 1 block, to prepare and distribute prasad at the Digha Jagannath Temple.
• Malviya released an official roster naming gaja and pera vendors, highlighting Muslim-majority sweets suppliers labeled as sacred offerings.
• BJP argues the practice contravenes Hindu customs that bar non-Hindus from handling temple offerings, citing Puri’s prohibition on non-Hindu entry.
• The Digha temple, modeled after Odisha’s Shree Jagannath Dham, has already drawn objections from Odisha officials over its naming rights and alleged misuse of ceremonial timber.
• The Trinamool Congress government maintains the vendor appointments were based on administrative criteria to support local businesses, dismissing BJP’s claims as partisan attacks.