Suvendu Adhikari says West Bengal's creation shielded Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh-like fate
Suvendu Adhikari claimed West Bengal's creation saved Bengali Hindus from the plight of Bangladesh's Chinmoy Das, and accused successive state governments of destroying their cultural traditions.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari has said that had West Bengal not been created, Bengali Hindus would have met the same fate as Chinmoy Das in Bangladesh. His remark, made during a public address, linked the political existence of the state to the security and cultural survival of its Hindu community.
Adhikari directed his criticism at both the erstwhile Left Front government and the current Trinamool Congress administration, alleging that they had systematically damaged the cultural traditions of Bengali Hindus in West Bengal. He said the two regimes, despite their different political colours, shared responsibility for what he described as the erosion of longstanding religious and cultural practices.
The leader promised that his party would work to restore those traditions if given the opportunity. He framed the issue as one of cultural preservation rather than mere electoral politics, arguing that the identity of Bengali Hindus in the state was under sustained pressure.
The reference to Chinmoy Das, a figure in Bangladesh, was used by Adhikari to draw a contrast between the situation of Hindus across the border and in West Bengal. He suggested that the creation of West Bengal as a separate state within India had provided a protective political framework that Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh lacked.
Adhikari's comments come amid an ongoing political tussle in the state over cultural and religious narratives. While he did not announce any specific programme or timeline for the promised restoration, his remarks signal a continued emphasis on identity issues by the state BJP leadership.