With his purported remarks on Muslim majority triggering a backlash from Opposition BJP and Hindu monks, Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim on Sunday said that he has a “strong belief in strong and patriotic values”.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event in Kolkata, PTI quoted Hakim, as saying: “I am a diehard secular and patriotic Indian. No one can question my secular values and love for my country. Period.”
On Saturday, a video went viral on social media in which the senior TMC leader is allegedly heard speaking: “We are from a community that accounts for 33 per cent of West Bengal’s population. In India, however, we account for 17 per cent (of the total population) and are called a minority community. But we don’t think of ourselves as a minority. We believe that if Allah’s grace is with us, we can become a bigger majority than the majority one day.”
“It will be Allah’s grace and we will achieve this with our strength. Whenever something happens, our community holds a candlelight march, saying, ‘we want justice’. Holding marches for justice won’t help, raise your stature to the point where you can deliver justice instead of demanding it,” the four-time MLA and KMC Mayor said at an event organised by “Firhad 30” that prepares students for competitive exams.
Hitting out at Hakim, the BJP called his remarks “dangerous” and accused him of inciting communal hatred. The Congress too alleged that the TMC was “cosying to religious fundamentalists”.
“Pure venom from the Kolkata Mayor. TMC’s Firhad Hakim is openly inciting communal hatred and pushing a dangerous agenda. This isn’t just a hate speech — it’s a blueprint for creating a Bangladesh-type situation in India… Our nation will not tolerate such threats to its unity and integrity,” state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar posted on his X handle.
BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly,. Suvendu Adhikari, said: “He (Hakim) has said that on population ground, they will become a majority… It is good thing that there should be more people from Muslim community in our judiciary. What is wrong if someone is selected on the basis of merit. I believe that on the basis of merit whether you are Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Christian or Buddhist, everyone should break set norms and achieve great things and get higher posts. But it should not be on the basis of religion. He can definitely wish that more Muslim people to take good education, I don’t see anything wrong in it. But this kind of dangerous talk that in India, we are 17 per cent and in Bengal we are 33 per cent. If someone says that we must consolidate power, it will eventually become Bangladesh or Afghanistan… When Muslims cross 50 per cent of the population, the Constitution is not followed, Muslim Personal Board law is followed. Naturally, what he saying is very dangerous.”
BJP’s IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya accused Hakim of suggesting that West Bengal and India will soon have a Muslim majority. “Hakim envisions a future where Muslims will no longer rely on peaceful protests or marches but will take justice into their own hands, potentially hinting at Sharia law,” Malviya said.
Former BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said Hakim’s comments “reveal the game plan of communal elements in TMC to turn West Bengal into Bangladesh, and secede it from India”.
Senior monk of Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS), Kartik Maharaj, alleged that instead of laying emphasis on education and economic uplift of Muslims, Hakim spoke about increasing their numbers, “which will aid and abet infiltration in the state”.
“We would not have minded had Firhad Hakim solely talked about undertaking economic development measures for Muslims. But analyse why he referred to the percentage of Muslims in our population. Does he wish to turn West Bengal into another Bangladesh?” Maharaj said at a religious event ‘Lakh kanthe Gita paath’ (chanting Gita in one lakh voices) at Siliguri on Sunday.
Defending Hakim, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the comments were deliberately twisted. “What he meant was the uplift of a large number of minority community members so that they can join mainstream society and contribute to nation-building. Certain elements are trying to give a different spin to his views,” Ghosh said.
He further asserted that Hakim’s secular and liberal values are well-known, and that he actively participates in various religious festivals while promoting communal harmony.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Choudhury accused both BJP and TMC of “playing the dangerous game of religion-based politics”. “While the BJP is encouraging Hindu fundamentalists to consolidate its position among the majority vote bank, the TMC is cosying up with both Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists for narrow political gains. The comments of Firhad Hakim reveal the sinister gameplan to indulge Muslim fundamentalist elements,” the former state Congress chief said.
This is not the first that the senior TMC leader and four-time MLA has sparked a row with his remarks.
In July this year, speaking at a Quran memorisation competition, Hakim said, “Those who were not born with Islam were born with misfortune. …if we do such a ceremony, especially the people of Islam, it (Islam) should be spread among non-Muslims. Because we have the mercy of our own Allah.” Later in November, his remarks on BJP leader and alleged sexual assault victim from Sandeshkhali, Rekha Patra, also sparked a controversy with the BJP demanding legal action .