West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has called for the dissolution of the party’s minority morcha and the abandonment of the “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” slogan, which was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the BJP state executive meeting in Kolkata, Adhikari introduced the party’s new slogan: “Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath” (Those who are with us, we are with them). This move comes after the party’s disappointing performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections and subsequent bypolls.
“I had spoken about nationalist Muslims and you too had said ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. But I will not say this any more. Instead, we will now say, ‘Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath’. Stop this ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. Minority Morcha is not needed,” Adhikari asserted at the meeting.
END this Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas
Rather we shall now say 'Jo Hamare Sath, Hum unke Sath'
Our slogan shall be JAI SHRI RAM
: Suvendu Adhikari pic.twitter.com/Qz9zzAGelW
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) July 17, 2024
Despite the party’s target of winning 30 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, it managed to secure only 12 seats, a significant drop from the 18 seats it won in the previous polls. Analysis of the voting patterns indicated that the minority community played a crucial role in this outcome, posing a significant challenge to the BJP’s ambitions.
Adhikari also highlighted the issues faced by Hindu voters during the elections. He launched a portal to allow voters who allegedly could not exercise their franchise to register their complaints. “Nearly 50 lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the Lok Sabha elections. More than 2 lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the four by-polls held in the state,” Adhikari tweeted.
The Nandigram MLA’s call for scrapping the minority morcha and altering the party’s slogan has stirred reactions within the BJP. He emphasised the need to focus on those who support the party, stating, “We will save Hindus, and we will save the Constitution. I have spoken about nationalist Muslims, and you all said, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. But I will say it no more. Rather, we will say, ‘jo hamare saath hum unke saath’. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas bandh karo.”
Incidents of post-poll violence reported in from several pockets of West Bengal where BJP workers were allegedly beaten and their offices were vandalised, after the declaration of Lok Sabha 2024 results.
Criminals linked to the Trinamool Congress have reportedly threatened and attacked homes in several villages across Tufanganj, Minakhan, Kharagpur, Habra, and Sonamukhi. Meanwhile, BJP party workers have been targeted in various locations, including Hingalganj, Narayangarh, Caning, Bhangar, Barrackpore, Naihati, and Metiaburuz, with party offices in Baranagar and Tapan also besieged and damaged by ruling party supporters.
Further, a BJP worker was allegedly abducted by TMC activists in Gopiballavpur, while BJP agents were forcefully ejected from counting centers in Bishnupur and Diamond Harbor. In Jadavpur, CPM candidate Srijan Bhattacharya has raised concerns over threats and harassment faced by party members.
In another incident, a woman was attacked, assaulted, and stripped for supporting the BJP has emerged, this time from the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. The woman, identified as Rosonara Khatun, was abused, assaulted, and stripped for supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections.
Despite the presence of 400 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces deployed under Election Commission orders to maintain peace, reports indicate challenges in controlling the violence. Allegations of non-cooperation from provincial authorities have left around 40,000 paramilitary personnel without effective guidance or direction in curbing post-poll unrest.
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