Teach BJP the meanings of ‘subhechchha’ and ‘soujanya’, Dev tells Sukanta
Times of India | 25 April 2024
Kolkata: “Soujanya” and “subhechchha” (‘courtesy’ and ‘good wishes’) entered the fray ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Balurghat with Trinamool’s actor-MP Dev taking a dig at BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya for misinterpreting the two words. Dev asked Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar — also a professor — to teach his party functionaries the meaning of the two words.
The Trinamool candidate, at a poll rally in Raiganj on Tuesday had wished Majumdar, BJP’s Balurghat candidate, well for the polls but Malviya interpreted it as Dev congratulating Majumdar for a win. Dev on Wednesday urged “Sukanta Da” to teach Malviya the meanings of “soujanya” and “subhechchha” in Bengali. Both words are used in Hindi as well, with identical meanings as in Bengali.
Dev had said at the rally: “I have a lot of friends and well-wishers who are in BJP. Among them, one important name is Sukanta-da (Majumdar). A dear person to me. Sukanta-da ke subhechchha (Good wishes to Sukanta-da). I always believe the person people love and trust should always win. So, from this stage all my wishes to Sukanta-da.” Dev was campaigning for Trinamool’s Raiganj and Balurghat candidates Krishna Kalyani and Biplab Mitra.
Majumdar had responded in the right spirit: “Dev is a very nice boy. It’s a problem he had to contest on a Trinamool ticket. Dev said I was his favourite. So when Dev goes on a roadshow today, it will be a campaign for me.”
Posting a video of Dev’s rally on X, Malviya had written: “TMC’s defeat can’t get more obvious when their Ghatal candidate and star campaigner Deepak Adhikari congratulates BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar on his upcoming win from Balurghat. Mamata Banerjee is increasingly getting isolated with voters and her leaders, both deserting the sinking ship. Bengal has decided to rout the TMC.”
Dev, tagged Majumdar and posted on X, “Sukanta Da, please teach your leaders and make them understand what shubhechha in Bengali means. Actually, the fault is not his (Malviya’s). He does not understand Bengali, had I spoken in Hindi then he might have understood. Please make him understand what I meant to say. The vote is on April 26. I again extend my best wishes to you, and your party workers.”
In Kolkata, BJP candidate Tapas Roy on Wednesday broke barriers to pay a visit to Ajit Panja’s Girish Park home. Trinamool minister Shashi Panja is Panja’s daughter-in-law. She was courteous to him and let him in. “I have been frequenting this house since 1989. Ajitda is my guru,” said Roy, garlanding Ajit Panja’s photo.