NEW DELHI: The West Bengal unit of the BJP has announced that they will not follow the party's ideal of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' any more as they did not need any "minority morcha" in the state. This despite the fact that the idea of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' has been the cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance policies for an inclusive India for over 10 years now.
West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is also the leader of opposition in the state assembly, on Wednesday said that the party will not talk about nationalist Muslims any more and will instead follow the principle of "Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath."
At BJP state executive meeting in Kolkata, Adhikari said "I had spoken about nationalist Muslims and you too had said 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.
But I will not say this anymore. Instead, we will now say, 'Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath'. Stop this 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. Minority Morcha is not needed."
"The fight is on and the fight will continue. We will continue to fight together to save Hindus and save the Constitution," Adhikari said as he tried to enthuse party cadres.
Suvendhu Adhikari, despite his all-out attack against chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress government, has failed to deliver results. In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP was reduced to 12 seats from the 19 it had won five years ago in 2019. In the just-concluded byelections also, the BJP lost all the four assembly seats to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
'My statement being taken out of context'With his remarks triggering a row, Suvendu Adhikari later issued a clarification and said that his statement was being taken out of context.
"I am clear that those who are Nationalists, stand for this Nation and Bengal, we should be with them. Those who don’t stand with us, work against the interest of Nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldn’t divide people in majority and minority and see them as Indians. I embody in letter and spirit, Prime Minister’s call for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas," the West Bengal leader of opposition wrote in a post on X.