(Image source from: Facebook.com/AITCofficial)
On Wednesday in the Assembly, a heated confrontation took place between Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the BJP, as both sides exchanged accusations of communal biases and made provocative remarks. During the intense debate, Ms. Banerjee asserted, "I am a Hindu... I don't require approval from the BJP," while criticizing the saffron party’s notion of an "imported Hindu dharma." The BJP retaliated by pointing fingers at the vandalism of Hindu temples. This clash, marked by vigorous protests from BJP legislators outside the Assembly, hints at the approaching 2026 elections scheduled for March-April.
In response to the BJP's Suvendhu Adhikari's claim that her administration was "anti-Hindu," Ms. Banerjee alleged that her opponents were intentionally targeting Muslims during the sacred month of Ramzan. She remarked, "They are uncomfortable with this. They attempt to divert the country's attention away from the economic downturn by issuing communal remarks. I am a Hindu, and I don’t require validation from the BJP.” She further emphasized that sovereignty, secularism, and pluralism are essential elements of Indian democracy, insisting that every citizen is entitled to follow their faith, whether they identify as Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or Parsi. "As Chief Minister, my duty is to look after everyone," she stated amidst shouts of anti-government slogans from BJP members. "Do not exploit the 'Hindu card'..." she cautioned.
Ms. Banerjee’s stern remarks came after Mr. Adhikari—who leads the opposition—threatened that if his party were to assume power, Muslim MLAs from her party would be expelled. Mr. Adhikari, who was previously aligned with Ms. Banerjee before moving to the BJP in December 2020 just weeks prior to the elections, mentioned those MLAs would be "physically" removed. This comment was condemned as "hate speech" by Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh, who declared, "This is an utterly unacceptable statement. He cannot advocate for the physical removal of MLAs based on their religion... discrimination in the name of faith is unacceptable... such a mindset is harmful." Several senior figures within the BJP declined to comment on Mr. Adhikari's statements.
