New Delhi [India]: Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar on Wednesday accused the West Bengal government of facilitating what he termed as “Land Jihad” in the state’s North and South 24 Parganas districts.
Majumdar claimed that Muslim leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were coercing residents to surrender their land for minimal compensation. He also criticized the state government, calling it “anti-Hindu” and accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of attempting to create communal polarization.
“One after the other, similar incidents are taking place across the state. Land Jihad is being carried out openly in North and South 24 Parganas. Muslim leaders of the TMC are compelling people to give up their land in return for a small amount of money. This government is an anti-Hindu government… Mamata Banerjee wants polarisation,” Majumdar told media.
When asked about Suvendu Adhikari’s recent controversial statement, Majumdar declined to comment directly, stating that he would first discuss the matter with the Leader of the Opposition.
“I cannot make a statement on this issue because I want to speak to Suvendu Adhikari first about what he said exactly. Given the way that BJP leaders are continuously suspended and harassed in the assembly, it is understandable why he made such a statement,” Majumdar told media.
The controversy erupted on Tuesday after Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the BJP would defeat Mamata Banerjee and expel Muslim MLAs from her party.
“We will defeat Mamata Banerjee, and when the BJP government comes, we will throw out the Muslim MLAs of her party from here,” Suvendu told the media.
Reacting to the statement, BJP MP and West Bengal BJP vice president Jagannath Sarkar asserted that Mamata Banerjee would lose the upcoming state elections but insisted that the party would follow established procedures.
“We will win, and Mamata Banerjee will lose (in West Bengal assembly elections) because she is working against the country. But, we will follow the party line (to form the government),” Sarkar said.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders strongly condemned Adhikari’s remarks. TMC MP Saugata Roy criticized the statement as “communal” and claimed the BJP would never gain power in West Bengal.
“Suvendu is daydreaming. He is making communal statements. They (BJP) will never come to power in West Bengal,” Roy said.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also denounced Adhikari’s remarks, questioning the BJP’s stance on religious divisions.
“He has a habit of dreaming; let him dream. Is it right to do Hindu-Muslim like this in the country? If the BJP hates Muslims so much, then they should expel all Muslims from the country and also remove Muslims from the voter list. They are the leaders of the country; can they say this? They have no culture and education. They only say Jai Shri Ram. They are mafia,” Banerjee remarked.