Bengal BJP Leader Says Abandon Minority Morcha, Drop Modi-Coined Slogan “Sabka Saath….”
NEW DELHI, July 17: Senior BJP leader in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari has ignited a major controversy advising the party to drop the “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” slogan and abandon the party’s minority morcha hinting that the saffron party should have no truck with the Muslims.
Mr Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, also coined a new slogan for the party, ‘Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath’, instead of the party’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ on the grounds that he had appealed to nationalist Muslims to vote for the BJP, but they didn’t.
The state BJP, however, quickly distanced itself from Mr Adhikari’s comment stating that it was his “personal opinion” and the party did not support it.
An embarrassed Adhikari also was forced to issue a clarification later claiming that his words had been taken out of context and vowed that those working against the interest of the nation needed to be exposed.
While addressing the BJP state executive meeting in Kolkata, the Bengal LoP said, “…I had spoken about nationalist Muslims and you too had said ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. But I will not say this anymore. Instead, we will now say, ‘Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath’. Stop this ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. Minority Morcha is not needed.”
Amid attack from all quarters, Adhikari in a press conference said, “What I said was my personal opinion. The party should rethink its stand in Bengal… Mamata Banerjee’s party tries to tag us as an ‘only-Hindu party.’ They are telling minorities not to vote for us. This was a political comment, which had nothing to do with the government slogan.”
He added on X: “My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are Nationalists, stand for this Nation and Bengal, we should be with them. Those who don’t stand with us, work against the interest of Nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldn’t divide people in majority and minority and see them as Indians. I embody in letter and spirit, Prime Minister’s call for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.”
Former BJP Bengal President Rahul Sinha said: “Those are his personal views. His statement is in no way endorsed by the party.” Sukanta Majumdar, Bengal BJP president, said: “Which proposal will be granted will be decided by the State President and his team. Adhikari was a delegate here. In the entire country, we have minority morcha.”
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress launched a scathing attack on the BJP. TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta posted on X: “The @BJP4Bengal LOP @SuvenduWB Deviates from “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” Slogan of Sh. @narendramodi himself…Guess he’s stature is probably taller than Mr Modi in BJP! He also says “Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath” & “there is no need of Minority Morcha in BJP.” Which essentially means @BJP4India is a party only for the Hindus and there is no place for Muslims in it. This is Unconstitutional & Anti National!”
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also posted the video on X.
On Tuesday, Adhikari launched a portal for voters who could not cast their votes in the recently held Lok Sabha elections and bypolls. “As promised yesterday, I have launched a portal where genuine voters can register their names, who were not allowed to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections and the recently concluded Assembly Bypolls. Whoever was not allowed to vote, can register themselves, and full secrecy will be ensured. Here’s the link:- https://savedemocracywb.com,” Adhikari said in a post on X. He also went to the Raj Bhavan with the issue.
During the Lok Sabha poll campaigning, the West Bengal LoP made an appeal to the Muslim community to vote for the saffron camp in the polls. “I want to tell Bengal’s Muslims that they made Mamata Banerjee the chief minister in 2021 because 95 % of them voted for her. Only non-Muslims voted for the BJP,” said the BJP leader as he asked them to switch sides. “I appeal to the Muslims to hit the streets against her and vote for us. The welfare policies of the Prime Minster are meant for all. Muslims are living in prosperity in (BJP-ruled) Uttar Pradesh and Assam. Go and see for yourself,” he had said.
The BJP which dreamt of winning more than 200 seats in the 294-member state Assembly, had ended up with only 77 seats leaving 213 seats to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, has continued to slide down the ladder in the state. The TMC secured victory on 29 out of 42 seats in the Lok Sabha while the BJP won 12 seats, down from 18 seats in 2019. The Congress won one seat in the recently held general elections. In the recently held by-elections for four state Assembly seats, the TMC won all four wresting three from the BJP.
(Manas Dasgupta)
