West Bengal BJP MLA and Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said that the party should abandon Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” slogan and eliminate its minority wing.
“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 now say ‘jo hamare saath hum unke saath’. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas bandh karo. (We are with those who are with us. Let’s put an end to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’),” declared the Nandigram MLA at the BJP’s first state working committee meeting in Kolkata after the Lok Sabha elections.
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“There is no need for a minority morcha (for the BJP),” he added.
The BJP’s tally in the recent Lok Sabha polls fell from 18 to 12 seats. Adhikari faced criticism from some BJP leaders, as he had influenced candidate selection for approximately 30 seats.
No immediate response came from other state BJP leaders regarding Adhikari’s comments on the prime minister’s slogan.
Suvendu Adhikari is a prominent political figure in West Bengal, serving as a BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition. Initially a member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Adhikari played a crucial role in the party’s rise, especially in the Nandigram movement, which significantly boosted TMC’s political fortunes.
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In 2020, he switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a move that created substantial political ripples. Known for his outspoken nature, Adhikari has been a vocal critic of the TMC government and has recently stirred controversy by calling for the abandonment of the BJP’s inclusive “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” slogan.
A few days ago, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar remarked that the party could not secure election victories solely by using central agencies to imprison ruling TMC leaders.
“At times, workers would ask for CBI action to arrest someone. They think that it will ensure a win in the constituency. But it will not happen. Workers may think that arresting a leader will ensure a win from the constituency. But that is not possible,” Majumdar said at a workers’ meeting in Midnapore on July 13.
