In an exclusive interview with Organiser Special Correspondent Nishant Kumar Azad in Kolkata, Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP State President and MP candidate from Balurghat, expressed his confidence in securing more seats in the upcoming 2024 Parliamentary elections in West Bengal. He highlighted the loss of trust in Mamata Banerjee among the populace, because of all-round corruption. Additionally, he emphasised the plight of Bengal’s women, who have been subjected to violence by Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) supporters on various occasions, including instances of post-poll violence and incidents like Sandeshkhali, stating that the people are determined not to let such actions go unpunished. Excerpts:
Let us begin with Sandeshkhali. Will Sandeshkhali be to Mamata Banerjee what Nandigram became of the Left Front?
I think Sandeshkhali will prove to be the graveyard of Trinamool Congress (TMC) and is much more impactful than Nandigram. Nandigram was mostly about land grabbing and the unwillingness of the people who didn’t wish to sacrifice their land. But Sandeshkhali is prominently about the dignity of the women. Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons, under the patronage of TMC and Mamata Banerjee, crushed the honour and dignity of women in the State. Even after the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan, his two brothers are still threatening women there. I have been to Sandeshkhali many times, even as recently as this interview is being done, and involved women are being threatened there. This event has opened a pandora box in Bengal and exposed the “character” of TMC to the people of the State. Earlier, they knew that the party is plagued by corruption, and now their lack of character is clearly evident.
There are claims that Sheikh Shahjahan is not the only culprit. There is, in fact, a whole Mughal setup within Bengal, from Shahjahan to Jahangir, who are politically aligned to TMC and purporting sexual crimes against Hindu women and grabbing land. Will you agree with this assessment?
This is quite correct. Throughout West Bengal, there are several small Sandeshkhalis. In North 24 Paragana, there is Sheikh Shahjahan, in South you have Jahangir. Even few days ago, one Hindu house was vandalised by TMC goons in North Bengal. However, let me emphasis that it is not TMC goons alone, it is also Muslim goons. There is a communal angle to it. Let me remind you that Sheikh Shahjahan used to be a CPM leader. So, if we wish to call it a “Mughal setup”, let us not forget that irrespective of the regime, and irrespective of the political colouring, the persistence of Land Jihad, anti-Hindu activities are on the rise in Bengal.
“Throughout the West Bengal there are several small Sandeshkhalis. In North 24 Paragana, there is Sheikh Shahjahan, in South you have Jahangir. Even few days ago, one Hindu house was vandalised by TMC goons in North Bengal. However, let me emphasis that it is not TMC goons alone, it is also Muslim goons”
During the Assembly elections 2021, Mamata Banerjee launched a vile attack on PM Modi and others calling them “bohiragotos”. Now the same party has fielded many candidates this time in Lok Sabha from outside Bengal, be it Yusuf Pathan, Kirti Azad or Shatrughan Sinha. How do you see it?
This is the hypocrisy at its best. Just before announcing the candidates, Abhishek Banerjee launched an attack on BJP that it is full of bohiragotos (outsiders). And then they fielded Kirti Azad, Shatrughna Sinha, and Yusuf Pathan. Can these people speak Bengali? Are they Bengali? TMC is exploiting Bengali sentiments, while on the ground it is anything, but Bengali. Look at how they have found a Gujarati Muslim in Yusuf Pathan to show their Muslim appeasement. How come a Gujarati Yusuf Pathan is not a bohiragoto but our country’s Prime Minister is an outsider?
BJP withdrew its candidate Pawan Singh from Asansol. Is the party sending a signal that voters are not mature enough to differentiate between the reel and the real life of an actor. How do you see this move?
No, that’s not true. Let me give you the example of legendary actor Utpal Dutt. He portrayed many negative roles in his reel life. But in his real life, he was a very respectable and loving man. The withdrawal of Pawan Singh’s candidature has nothing to do with the kind of films and songs he makes. It was his personal decision, and the party has nothing to do with it. We will soon announce the name of a fresh candidate from Asansol.
“TMC is exploiting the Bengali sentiments while on the ground it is anything, but Bengali. Look at how they have found a Gujarati Muslim in Yusuf Pathan to show their Muslim appeasement. How come a Gujarati Yusuf Pathan is not a bohiragoto but our country’s Prime Minister is an outsider?”
The joining of former Justice Abhijit Ganguly to BJP has stirred a controversy with TMC and other parties demanding that some of his judgements be revisited. How do you react to these charges?
This is a baseless allegation, which has become the forte of TMC and Mamata Banerjee. We, as a party, had no connections with Justice Ganguly until he resigned and approached BJP to join the party. Interestingly, all the judgements he delivered as a High Court Justice have been challenged by TMC in the Apex Court. His record as the ‘people’s judge’ is impeccable, and the allegations of TMC is politics at its lowest. What kind of precedent do they want to set up? Let me remind that Justice Noor Alam Chowdhury, after his retirement from Calcutta High Court, had joined TMC. So, by TMC’s logic, all the judgements delivered by Justice Chowdhury should be revisited too? Mamata Banerjee should learn to respect our independent institutions, especially, judiciary.
BJP West Bengal unit has recently submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission about 17 lakh fake voters. What actions has been taken on this and how do you plan to ensure that fake voters do not get to vote?
We have submitted a list to the ECI that approximately 17 lakh duplicate names have been incorporated by the local TMC schools, along with GMC workers with the collaboration of the local administration. We have submitted all the links to the ECI regarding these fake voters. I feel the ECI should be very strict in tackling this issue and ensuring that fake voting does not take place.
TMC has fielded Haji Nurul Islam from Sandeshkhali’s Bashirhat for the Lok Sabha elections, who is the prime accused in the 2010 anti-Hindu Deganga riots. Do you think TMC by fielding such problematic figures is demonising Muslim community?
True, this man is the main accused of Deganga riots. He was involved in all kinds of illegal activities, communal and anti-Bharat activities. This is the picture that clearly indicates the anti-Hindu mentality of Mamata Banerjee. Haji Nurul is not even a resident of Bashirhat. But his candidacy from the constituency is just a manufacturing of fear for the local Hindus and TMC is blatantly doing it. They are daring Hindus by doing these wrongs and I hope the Hindus of Bengal will respond to Mamata Banerjee in Lok Sabha elections.
Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the Centre is blocking West Bengal’s State funds. Is there
some truth to it?
Mamata Banerjee excels in making false allegations. She does not have any data to support this falsehood. Let me cite just one example of railway. When Banerjee herself was the Minister under UPA-I, Bengal used to be allocated Rs 300-400 crore. Now, under the Modi Government, the railway budget for Bengal is more than Rs 12,000 crore. Whatever Banerjee is doing is a much-more vehement intimidation of the former Left Front Governments in the State. Left Front used to propagate this falsehood that Union Govt in Delhi never cares for Bengalis, and it is Delhi which is solely responsible for the underdevelopment of Bengal. In this way, they pit the Nation against the State, people against the people, and one language against the other. They did their best to damage our national integration. Mamata has excelled in the same falsehood, and she is also making every issue about Delhi versus Kolkata.
Actress Saayoni Ghosh, who posted the infamous ‘condom on Shivling’ picture, is now ready to contest Lok Sabha election on TMC ticket from Jadavpur. Will it become an election issue?
Obviously, that will become an election issue and Hindus haven’t forgotten it and are furious about it. We need to understand that people cannot take Hindu’s tolerance for granted. We are not a bell hung in a public square which could be rung by anyone. It is time when we must stop the insult people inflict to our religion and sacred symbols. The people of Bengal will take care of elements like Saayoni Ghosh and the party which supports her.
Now that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has been notified, Mamata Banerjee has said that she won’t allow its implementation in Bengal. How do you see it?
CAA, as many Opposition leaders are claiming, has not been notified for some petty and immediate political interests. It has been notified to fulfil the longstanding demand of the refugees. BJP had promised it in its manifesto, and ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ has delivered the promise. CAA will deliver safeguards to persecuted Hindus from Bangladesh who are residing in the West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee is only opposing CAA to bolster her Muslim vote-bank. By doing so, she is sending a message of provocation to Muslims and dividing the State on sharp communal lines. Moreover, let me remind TMC and Mamata Banerjee, that citizenship is in the Union List and the Parliament of Bharat has legislated on CAA to make it an Act. Who is Mamata Banerjee to not allow the implementation of CAA in West Bengal? Her comments are an attack on the Constitution and sovereignty of Bharat.
How many seats BJP is expecting to win in this Lok Sabha from Bengal to get the target of 370?
Recently, PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have given us a target of 35 seats. We have the bullseye on that. We are targeting 35 seats.
“We need to understand that people cannot take Hindu’s tolerance for granted. We are not a bell hung in a public square who could be rung by anyone. It is time when we must stop the insult people inflict to our religion and sacred symbols”
Matua Mahasangh leader and your former colleague Mukut Mani Adhikari have joined TMC. How is this going to impact you in the upcoming election?
I don’t think it will damage us, and he is not that popular in the community. His admittance to TMC is a petty perspective of the party which thinks that CAA is only limited to one community. They thought by bringing Mani to TMC, they can discredit the long-standing demand of the refugees. I am also a refugee, so are Namashudras, Matuas, and so many other communities. TMC thinks that CAA was notified just to win over the votes of certain communities, because they cannot think about the morals in the politics anymore. Be it Matuas, Namashudras, and others, CAA is a dream come true for numerous communities in the State, and drifting of one unpopular leader to TMC does not make any difference to the larger cause.
There is an allegation against BJP that when post-poll violence happened in 2021, the party did not stand with its supporter. How do you respond to this allegation?
In those times, the situation has worsened in the State. It is ironical that just after celebrating the so-called “mandate” of the people, TMC goons under the patronage of their leader went on a spree of killing and harassing those who didn’t vote for them. Everybody was under TMC’s scanner and was subjected to some form of violence or the other. When I took charge, we did our best with our party to heal the wounds of those who had been tormented. We took the legal recourse, we managed shelters, we provided immediate relief, and we tried our best to take everybody along with us. Today, we see a confidence in the BJP supporters, and we are not ready to be subdued anymore. We won’t forget the post-poll violence of 2021, but we will not allow it to subdue us.
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