BJP's Suvendu Adhikari wants Minority Morcha scrapped: 'Unke saath jo hamare saath'
Suvendu Adhikari also called for doing away with the party's motto 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'.
Senior Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said on Wednesday that the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls was the result of a lack of support from the minorities in the state. Addressing the extended session of the BJP's state executive committee meeting, he said the Minority Morcha of the party must be scrapped.
He also called for doing away with the party's motto 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. He said the party should adopt a new motto -- 'Hum unke saath jo hamare saath (we are with those who are with us).
"I have spoken for nationalist Muslims as well. We all used to say 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', but I would not say this anymore because I think it should be 'Hum unke saath jo humare saath' (we are with those who are with us)... no need for Minority Morcha," he said.
Suvendu Adhikari clarifies remark
He, however, later clarified his remark.
"My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are nationalists stand for this Nation and Bengal, and we should be with them. Those who don't stand with us, work against the interest of the nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldn't divide people into 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, and Sabka Prayas," Suvendu Adhikari wrote in a post on X.
Minorities comprise nearly 30 per cent of the electorate in West Bengal.
In 2014, the BJP's slogan was 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', and in 2019, it was 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'.
Suvendu Adhikari claimed that during the recent Lok Sabha polls, Hindus were not allowed to vote by "Jihadi goons of the TMC in many areas."
He said free and fair elections were not possible in West Bengal.
"The Jihadi goons of the TMC will not allow it. Free and fair elections are only possible by implementing the Disturbed Areas Act in the state. We don't want to capture power in the state through backdoor implementation of the President's Rule," he said.
"We will come to power when we win elections with the people's mandate. But for that, free and fair elections have to be ensured," he added.
His remarks come days after the party lost by-polls in three assembly seats. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress won all three seats.
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, TMC won 29 seats. The BJP won just 12 seats.
TMC slams Suvendu Adhikari
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the BJP is against democracy.
"They (BJP) are saying that there should not be a minority front, it is against democracy. Here there is a Hindu majority and then there are minorities, Muslims, and Christians and all democratic parties have a minority cell...If it (BJP) had been a democratic party it would have said that our party is for everyone," he said.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
