Calcutta, Nov. 4: Some Left Front allies today criticised CPM leader and former Calcutta mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya for publicly having beef at a protest at Esplanade on Friday against the rising intolerance in the country, sources said.

In the presence of CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra, leaders of the RSP, Forward Bloc and the CPI told Left Front chairman Biman Bose during a meeting at Alimuddin Street that Bhattacharyya should not have participated in an event that had "communal overtones".

At the programme organised by the Bhasha O Chetana Samiti, a private organisation with Left leanings, Bhattacharyya openly consumed beef along with poet Subodh Sarkar.

The event was held to protest the Dadri lynching of a man suspected to have had beef and the police raid at Kerala House in Delhi to check if buffalo meat was served there.

Asked about today's meeting, a Front leader said: "Protesting against the rising intolerance and the attacks on those consuming beef is one thing. But eating beef in public just for the sake of protest creates a communal divide. Bikashbabu should not have done this. After all, he is a senior and responsible CPM leader."

"Left Front constituents did not like his act because this also hurts the sentiments of a section of the society. That's why we complained to Bimanda, who saw reason in our arguments," he added.

It was learnt that at today's meeting, a Front ally told the CPM leadership that consumption of beef or pork was an individual's choice and a private affair and hence should be kept in the private domain.

Sources said CPM state secretary Mishra told the allies that he had spoken to Bhattacharyya and the former mayor had understood that his act could have been misunderstood by some sections of people.

Contacted by The Telegraph, Bhattacharyya said tonight: "The incident should not be looked at in this way. What I did was in my personal capacity to protest the attacks on those eating beef."

"Moreover, what I did was at a social gathering. It was not part of any political programme. The time has come to protest against religious intolerance," he added.

When journalists asked Bose about Bhattacharyya's participation at Friday's event, the Front chairman said: "As far as I know, the Esplanade programme was organised by a private organisation. No such event has been held on behalf of the CPM or the Front."