As Pahalgam attack gives fresh ammo to BJP, Suvendhu Adhikari leads the charge
Over the last four days, Adhikari, who is the leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, has met the families of those killed in the attack, rallied against Pakistan, and burnt the flag of the neighbouring country in front of the West Bengal Assembly.
BJP sources say, Adhikari will ramp up this rhetoric. The public and aggressive stance, they add, is building into the BJP's narrative and campaign in Bengal. The state is due to vote in early 2026.
After the attack on Tuesday, Adhikari said on X, 'Not Language Difference… Not Regional Identity… Not Caste Barrier… Only Question Asked — What is your Religion? Once confirmed HINDU, the Tourists were fired at indiscriminately in Pahalgam… My heart goes out to the Hindu Victims who lost their lives, my Hindu Brothers and Sisters who received bullet injuries and the bereaved and traumatized family members. Hindu Hindu Bhai Bhai… Om Shanti.'
Then on Thursday, Adhikari burnt the Pakistan national flag in front of the West Bengal Assembly and said the Indian Army 'would enter Pakistan' and 'kill them'.
He went on to claim that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had 'never blamed Pakistan' for the Pahalgam attack.
Earlier that day, Adhikari had posted a photo of a wireless network system disc on X, alleging that two persons from Kashmir were living in Baruipur and engaging in 'suspicious' activities. Adhikari shared the address of the flat where the two men live and alleged that they had 'installed a NanoBeam 2AC compact and high-performance wireless network bridge at the rooftop'.
In an official statement, the Baruipur police said the two persons —one Hindu and one Muslim—had installed a simple Jio Fiber network on the terrace and dismissed the BJP leader's allegations.
How the BJP is laying the ground
The 2019 Lok Sabha polls were crucial for the BJP in West Bengal, with the party putting up its best-ever performance in the state by winning 18 of 42 seats.
In the Assembly polls two years later, the BJP managed to get 77 seats out of 292 to emerge as the principal Opposition party in the state. But the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 were a roadblock, with the BJP's tally plunging to 12. The party also lost all of the 10 bypolls that were held subsequently.
In the midst of this, the targeting of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh came as an opportunity for the beleaguered BJP unit in the state.
After the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh late November, the BJP in Bengal has been organising protests across the state to 'unite Hindus'.
In December, Adhikari and BJP leaders, alongside 50 Hindutva organisations, gathered in Kolkata to call for 'Hindu unity'. At the meet, Adhikari said: 'In Uttar Pradesh Hindus have united under Yogi Adityanath ji… In Haryana, Hindus have united… In Maharashtra, the land of Chatrapati Shivaji, Hindus have united…' Adhikari said.
Adhikari has also been repeatedly calling for a dedicated 'Sanatan Board' to 'safeguard the rights and interests of Hindus'.
Adhikari's rhetoric is only becoming sharper, with the BJP seeking to portray the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) as 'anti-Hindu'.
In March, Adhikari described Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee as 'anti-Hindu' after the latter refused to allow an adjournment motion moved by BJP leaders on the alleged attacks on Hindus in the Birbhum district during Holi.
The same month, Adhikari declared the BJP would come to power in Bengal after the 2026 Assembly polls and 'oust' muslim MLAs from the Assembly.
And earlier this month, Adhikari announced the construction of a Ram temple in Nandigram district's Sonachura town.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Two men transporting cattle tied up, made to squat, 2 held: Bengal Police
TWO MEN were beaten, tied up and made to squat allegedly by members of a Hindu outfit, accompanied by some BJP workers, in Durgapur on Friday after they were spotted transporting cattle – including cows – police said. Two persons were arrested in connection with the incident, they added. Citing local residents, police sources said that the two men, who belong to another community, claimed that they were returning from Barjora of Bankura district after 'purchasing cows for agricultural purposes.' However, the BJP claimed that the men were asked to show proper documents regarding the purchase of cows but could not do so. Some BJP workers staged a protest over the incident. TMC MLA from Pandabeswar, Narendranath Chakraborty, said, 'This can't be allowed in Bengal. We have approached the police and demanded stern action against those who did this.' In a post on X later in the day, the West Bengal Police wrote, 'Two persons belonging to a minority community, while carrying cattle for farming purposes, were detained and severely beaten up in Durgapur by some hooligans… A case has been registered over the incident and two of the miscreants have been arrested. Raids are on to apprehend all those involved…' The police added, 'Nothing and no one will be allowed to dent our state's tradition of inclusivity and harmony. We always have, and always will, demonstrate zero tolerance for religious bigotry of any kind. Let that message be loud and clear.' Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
The Hindu
4 minutes ago
- The Hindu
2008 Malegaon case: Congress attempted to fabricate 'saffron terror' narrative to humiliate Hindus and for vote-bank politics, says BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (August 1, 2025) cited the statement of a former Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) officer, who was involved in the investigation into the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast, to allege that the then Congress government had attempted to 'fabricate a narrative of Saffron terror to humiliate Hindus and for vote-bank politics'. In a statement to the media, former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar has claim that pressure was exerted on him to arrest Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat. VIDEO | Was asked to apprehend Mohan Bhagwat in Malegaon blast case, claims ex-ATS official. Former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar says, "I did not investigate the Malegaon bomb blast case for which the verdict came yesterday. But I was involved in probing some absconding accused in… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 1, 2025 At a press conference, BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra referred to Mr. Mujawar's remarks to accuse the Congress party of doing 'vindictive politics', stating that 'the Gandhi family was intent on defaming Sanatan'. He said the recent statement by senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan — that 'terrorism has no religion' — was a 'well-worn phrase of Congress's appeasement politics'. Stating that Mr. Mujawar had made an important disclosure, the BJP leader said: 'He revealed that top ATS officers and some influential figures in the then government pressured him to push forward the 'saffron terror' narrative at all costs and to arrest RSS Sarsanghchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat under that conspiracy, even though his name was nowhere in the chargesheet or the investigation....' 'But Mehboob stated that he would not act outside the framework of the Constitution or damage the country's democratic fabric. After this refusal, his own senior officers framed him with false and serious charges. Some allegations were imposed on him, resulting in his promotion being blocked. Later, Mujawar approached the court, where he was completely exonerated. The court also ruled that all allegations against him were baseless and malicious,' said Mr. Patra. 'The Congress government at the time had reached new heights of vindictive mentality. Individuals associated with the BJP, followers of Hinduism, and senior functionaries of the RSS were deliberately humiliated, arrested, and targeted for personal revenge. The Congress was operating in a completely retaliatory mode, and all of this was happening at the behest of the Gandhi family,' he alleged. He said former Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was the first to use the term 'saffron terror' during a Congress party convention. 'When asked why he said so and whether it was appropriate, he smiled and said: 'I now feel what I said was wrong, but I only did what my party high command told me'...who is the Congress high command? In the Congress party, the high command is not an institution — it is just one family, the Gandhi family. There is only one command, but many faces behind it — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra,' he said. On Thursday, in the Malegaon case, a Mumbai NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Congress conclave to discuss constitutional challenges
NEW DELHI: Congress will dwell on constitutional challenges and the way forward at a national conclave on Saturday. The event gains significance as it comes amid the party's refrain that the Constitution is under attack from BJP. The AICC department of law, human rights and RTI chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Friday said the full-day legal conclave was being organised under the overarching theme: "Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways." The conclave will be addressed by, among others, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi . Besides, party general secretaries K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and Mukul Wasnik; treasurer Ajay Maken; chief ministers of Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh; former CMs and other senior Congress netas will be among the 41 distinguished speakers. The conclave will also be addressed by former judges, legal academics and human rights activists. The event was taking place at a "pivotal moment in our Republic's journey - a time that calls for renewed commitment to the foundational values of our democracy", Singhvi said. "As custodians of the Constitution of India, we are presented with an opportunity to come together - as legal professionals, public thinkers and citizens - to reaffirm our collective faith in the constitutional order, uphold the rule of law, and strengthen the integrity of our institutions," he said.
