'Won't Let West Bengal Become West Bangladesh': State BJP Chief Samik Alleges 'Demographic Invasion'

Kolkata, Jul 8 (PTI) West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya accused the TMC of yielding to fundamentalist forces and allowing a "silent demographic invasion", asserting that the 2026 assembly polls would decide the fate and existence of Bengal and Bengali Hindus.

He vowed that the BJP would never let Bengal become "West Bangladesh" or an "Islamic Republic".

In an interview with PTI, after taking charge as the state party chief, Bhattacharya said the political atmosphere in Bengal was "frighteningly similar" to the volatile pre-Partition years of 1946.

"This is not merely a political contest. It is a struggle for identity, survival, and existence. Bengali Hindus are facing an existential crisis. The BJP is the only force standing in defence of Bengali Hindus' existence and Bengal. We won't allow the state to be turned into an Islamic Republic or West Bangladesh," the state BJP chief said.

Bhattacharya, a quintessential Bengali 'bhadralok' and a Rajya Sabha MP, is known in political circles for his measured tone and cultural fluency.

He did not shy away from deploying the full spectrum of the BJP's Hindutva rhetoric, invoking demographic anxieties, cultural pride, and historical trauma.

"The TMC has surrendered before fundamentalists. For the sake of vote-bank politics, they have opened the gates to infiltration. Since the 1980s, we have warned of a silent demographic invasion. If we don't resist now, the fate of Bengali Hindus may mirror that of Hindus in Bangladesh," he claimed.

Emphasising that the BJP was not anti-Muslim, Bhattacharya appealed to "nationalist and liberal Muslims" to join the party's mission to defeat radicalism and religious appeasement.

"Radicalisation is spreading, but we will not allow Bengal to be divided again. The BJP is not against Muslims; we are against those who pick up stones and swords. We want to give their children books and pens instead," he said.

In a message to the minorities, Bhattacharya questioned what they had gained under the TMC rule.

"Nearly 90 per cent of political violence victims in recent years have been Muslims. The TMC has used them as vote banks but done nothing for their uplift. I urge my Muslim brothers and sisters to ask yourselves, what have you truly received in return for your loyalty?" he asked.

"There are large numbers of Muslims, who are against fundamentalism. We would appeal to them that they should come forward against this misrule of the TMC," Bhattacharya said.

The BJP leader accused the chief minister of "compromising Bengal's pluralism" for political expediency.

"She has now moved on from Maa Kali to Lord Jagannath. But she pursues appeasement politics. We don't need lessons in secularism or Bengali culture from TMC," he claimed.

One of the key challenges before Bhattacharya is whether the Bengal BJP under his leadership will pursue a moderate, inclusive Hindutva line or continue with the combative, hardline posture championed by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

Bhattacharya was quick to dispel any talk of ideological divergence.

"There is no binary of aggressive or soft Hindutva or any difference. There is no difference between the Bengal line and the Delhi line. The party has always believed in inclusive nationalism and unity without appeasement. We will make Bengal free from fear, corruption and violence," he said.

The 61-year-old lauded Adhikari as a "natural leader", asserting that there is no difference of opinion with him, but said the party line would be decided by the top leadership.

His appointment as state BJP president, seen as an attempt to bring order to a faction-ridden unit, came amid growing concern in the party's central leadership over a shrinking support base, demoralised cadre, and lack of emotional connection with the Bengali electorate.

"The old generation of BJP leaders laid the foundations when we had nothing in Bengal. The new generation must value that struggle. Similarly, the old guards have to understand that for the party to grow we have to induct new people. There is no friction between the old and the new. Everyone will stand united to defeat TMC," he said.

Ahead of the 2021 assembly election, the TMC invoked Bengali sub-nationalism to counter the BJP's Hindutva narrative, branding it a party of "outsiders".

Responding to the charge, Bhattacharya said, "No one has a monopoly over Bengali culture. The BJP stands for every Bengali who aspires for development and dignity. We don't need lessons on Bengali culture from anyone in the TMC." Bhattacharya said his immediate priority would be to strengthen the BJP's presence in districts with untapped potential and re-energise the grassroots network.

"We have around ten months. A baby takes eight to nine months to be born, so there is time to deliver. People must not fall for the 'No Vote to BJP' campaign. This is a ploy to help the TMC. The real binary is BJP versus TMC. Everything else is noise," he said.

Bhattacharya sought to position the BJP as a party with an economic and industrial vision.

"Industries have collapsed, investors fled, and youths are migrating for jobs. The TMC has failed Bengal's economy. We will reverse this decline. Bengal must rise again, both culturally and economically," he said.

As the BJP aims to script a comeback in a state where it made impressive gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but faltered in the 2021 state polls, the spotlight is now firmly on Bhattacharya's stewardship.

"This is not just about winning an election. It is about saving Bengal," he signed off. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

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