'I Am Hindu, But...': Mamata Banerjee Goes All Out Against BJP As Suvendu Adhikari’s Remarks On Muslim MLAs Spark Row

The West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday saw a heated exchange between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BJP legislators, with both sides accusing each other of "communalism." The war of words began after Banerjee lashed out at Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari over his controversial remarks on Muslim MLAs, accusing the BJP of importing "fake Hinduism" into the state.

Referring to Adhikari's statement from the previous day—where he claimed that if the BJP came to power in West Bengal, Muslim MLAs from the TMC would be thrown out of the Assembly—Banerjee questioned, "How can your leader say that when Muslims win, you people will remove them from the Assembly? How can they dismiss 33 percent of the population?"

"Do not engage in deceit in the name of religion. I condemn those who divide people based on religion. They speak of Hindus and Muslims but ignore the true message of humanity," Banerjee said while addressing the House on the third day of the second round of the Budget session. She further accused the BJP of deliberately targeting Muslims, especially during the holy month of Ramzan.

"Ramzan month is being deliberately chosen by some to hurt Muslims. But people from minority communities should rest assured—the unity of all religions will prevail. They are trying to distract from economic and trade collapse by making communal statements. I’m a Hindu, and I don’t need certification from the BJP," Banerjee asserted.

Suvendu Adhikari, once a close confidante of Mamata Banerjee, has sparked a political storm in the state with his remarks. On Tuesday, he had said, "Firstly, I will defeat Biman Bandhopadhyay (Speaker), then Mamata Banerjee. After that, those Muslim MLAs from TMC—when the BJP government comes—will be thrown out on this road."

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TMC leader Kunal Ghosh described Adhikari's statement as "hate speech," calling it "extremely objectionable." "He cannot say MLAs from a particular religion will be thrown out physically. He cannot discriminate in the name of religion. This mentality is not good," Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar refrained from commenting on Suvendu Adhikari's statement, saying he would first speak to the Leader of the Opposition to understand the context.

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"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 BJP leaders are continuously suspended and harassed in the Assembly, it is understandable why he made such a statement," Majumdar said, as quoted by ANI.