’Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas band karo, Minority Morcha not needed’: Suvendu Adhikari triggers controversy | Here’s why

A prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, has stirred controversy by calling for the scrapping of the Minority Morcha and urging leaders to abandon the slogan “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (Together with all, development for all). Instead, Adhikari suggested adopting a new slogan: “Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath” (We are with those who are with us).

“…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,” Suvendu Adhikari said on Wednesday at a BJP state executive meeting in Kolkata.

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‘It is against democracy’

Adhikari drew flak for his statement with TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, saying that “it is against democracy”. He said, “Here there is a Hindu majority, and then there are minorities, Muslims, and Christians, and all democratic parties have a minority cell…If it (BJP) had been a democratic party, it would have said that our party is for everyone…But they are saying that minority morcha should not be there…”

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Adhikari issues clarification

Adhikari later clarified, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the slogan “and it remains.” He said his statement was “political” and had nothing to do with PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ slogan.”

“As a BJP functionary, with heavy pain, I kept my point forward that the BJP’s state unit should stand with the party workers and not with those who do not stand with BJP,” Adhikari said.

He complained that despite doing welfare work for everyone, he gets to hear that the “BJP is a Hindu party”. “We are shown black flags and stones are pelted on our vehicles… Whatever we have done so far is for every citizen of the country irrespective of religion.”

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“My statements are personal and have no relation with the party’s thoughts… There was a minority morcha in my constituency. I celebrated Eid with 700 people in the Milan Utsav,” the West Bengal BJP leader said. He further emphasised, “Communal voting greatly affected BJP.…”