CM Mamata Banerjee slams Suvendu's 'fake, divisive Hindutva import'
Times of India | 13 March 2025
CM Mamata Banerjee with people of different communities at a Doljatra-Holi event in Kolkata on Wednesday KOLKATA: CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday used Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda's "inclusive and progressive Hinduism" to attack BJP's "fake Hindutva import" and its use of "divisive Hinduism". Her statement in the state assembly came a day after BJP's Suvendu Adhikari vowed to bodily throw Muslim MLAs out of the assembly once BJP came to office.
"We condemn this religious hatred," the CM said, castigating BJP for its "double standards".
"Our PM goes to different countries, he visits Arab countries. Who lives there? He praises Islamic nations, and rightly so. Do you ever criticise him? Those are Muslim nations, too," she added.
Others in Trinamool attributed Adhikari's "sudden communal belligerence" to Haldia BJP MLA Tapasi Mondal's defection to Trinamool on Monday. "It is a sign of a panic attack and a desperate attempt by Adhikari to disturb peace here in the run-up to the 2026 assembly poll," a Trinamool senior said.
Banerjee, too, asked BJP not to "play the Hindu card". "He brings disgrace to the chair. He should represent everyone, not a particular community," she said, specifying Adhikari. "Your imported Hindu dharma is not supported by the Vedas or by our seers. How can you deny the rights of Muslims as citizens? This is nothing but fraud. You are importing fake Hinduism. I have the right to protect Hindu dharma but not your version of it,"she added.
Duty of the majority is to protect the minority, says Didi
Referring to Suvendu Adhikari's black-clothes protest outside the state assembly, Mamata Banerjee said: "Just wearing black clothes is not enough. A crow wearing peacock feathers does not become a peacock." She added: "The person who has said this will regret it one day. He has switched parties thrice in the past. You will again see him pleading to join another party in the future!"
The CM also saw something sinister in the timing of Adhikari's "hate speech". "The month of Ramzan has been chosen to hurt Muslims. But minority communities should rest assured: the unity of all religions will prevail," she said. "We are a secular, pluralistic nation. Everyone has the right to practise their religion. Everyone should be able to live with their own belief and with dignity. The duty of the majority is to protect the minority. We must protect our country's sovereignty and secularism. I love all religions and we condemn any political party's attempts to spread hatred against any community," she added.
Banerjee then referred to Bengal's demography with 23% of the population belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and more than 30% being Muslims: "How can your leader say that Muslims will be removed, thrown out? How can you deny them? This is also Shahnawaz (Khan)'s, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's country."
The Bengal CM questioned other BJP seniors' refusal to denounce Adhikari's statement, reminding everyone how she was always quick to denounce such statements if they were made her Trinamool colleagues. "Our party is very strict on this matter. I have told Firhad (senior cabinet minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim) that religion must not be discussed," she said. She also mentioned that MLAs Humayun Kabir and Madan Mitra had been asked not to make inappropriate remarks. "90% of the allegations made by the opposition (on appeasement politics and attacks on Hindus) are not correct. I love (things in) black and white," she added.
"I celebrate Durga Puja and Kali Puja. There is a Kali Puja at my home. Hinduism is universal. Blood is the same. There is no difference between blood (from different people) when we donate it. It goes to the blood bank; it does not have names or religions written on it. Humanity is the real religion," Banerjee said in conclusion.
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