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Suvendu Adhikari, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in West Bengal, has sparked a row after he suggested that the saffron party should rethink its \u2018Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas\u2019 slogan if it wants to reclaim its political fortunes in Trinamool Congress-ruled state. Adhikari, who has been facing the brunt of the heat after party\u2019s successive losses in the state, also suggested shutting state Minority Morcha to improve the electoral performance in future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Adhikari\u2019s comments come after successive poll drubbings faced by the BJP in West Bengal. The TMC outperformed the BJP by bagging 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in general elections 2024. The BJP could won 12 seats, down from 18 it won in 2019. Adding to saffron party\u2019s woes, the TMC won all four assembly seats that went to bypolls in the state earlier this month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe will save the Hindus and save the Constitution. I have spoken about nationalist Muslims and you all said \u2018Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas\u2019. But I shall say it no more. Rather we shall now say, \u2018We are with those who are with us\u2019. Let\u2019s put an end to \u2018Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas\u2019,\u201d Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly, was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. He was speaking at the two-day BJP state executive committee meeting, the first after the Lok Sabha poll results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe should also shut Minority Morchas,\u201d the BJP leader said adding that he was the Leader of the Opposition and had little role in the party organisation in the state.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2018Sabka saath, sabka vikas\u2019 is a slogan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasising on \u2018development for all\u2019 irrespective of caste or religion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The BJP leaders from the state tried to do some damage control and said that Adhikari\u2019s comments were his personal opinion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIn the working committee meeting, party leaders are free to give their recommendations. It is up to the state party leadership to decide any additions, corrections or deletions. Suvendu Adhikari spoke his mind as a delegate,\u201d Sukanta Majumdar, West Bengal BJP president, told reporters adding that there was no question of dissolving BJP Minority Morcha, a wing that is part of the BJP\u2019s organisational structure across the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Later, Adhikari said his statement was being taken out of context. He said his statement was \u2018political\u2019 and had nothing to do with PM Modi’s ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ slogan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nMy 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\u2019t stand with us, work against the interest of Nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 17, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n
\nAdhikari\u2019s comments come a day after he claimed that t \u2018more than 50 lakh Hindus\u2019 <\/a>were not allowed to vote in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal and that over two lakh could not do so in the Assembly bypolls on July 10.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\u00a0TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, said the comment was s against democracy. \u00a0\u201cHere 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…But they are saying that minority morcha should not be there,\u201d Ghosh said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n