After remarks on Muslim MLAs, Suvendu Adhikari now raises pitch against Mamata govt over Ram Navami celebrations

NEW DELHI: "Hindus will reign in Hindustan, and those who work for Hindus will reign in West Bengal. If all Hindus unite, the TMC will bite the dust ... "
West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has once again raised the pitch against Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool government as the state gears up for the Ram Navami festival on April 6. Suvendu, who had last week announced that around one crore Hindus will participate in over 20,000 processions to be held across the state on Ram Navami, on Tuesday said that any attempts to stop the festivities would be resisted strongly.
"The situation in the state will be similar to that of Bangladesh if Mamata Banerjee remains in power. The days of her rule are numbered. Hindus will not accept her blatant appeasement of one community and attempts to crush Ram Navami celebrations any more," Suvendu said.
"On the day of Holi attacks were carried on Dalits by jihadis in Sainthia. But no action was taken against the perpetrators. Internet services were suspended to cover up the violence against the 'Sanatanis'. Discussion on it was not even allowed in the assembly," he claimed referring to incidents of violence in the state during Holi.
Suvendu also targeted assembly speaker Biman Banerjee after he did not allow discussion in assembly over a BJP adjournment motion on violence in the state during Holi.
The speaker did allow BJP chief whip Shankar Ghosh to read out the first few paras of the motion, but then said that certain other references and contents including the word “Hindus” and “Hindutva”, "were not appropriate" for discussion on the floor of the House.
"We don't need this anti-Hindu regime. We want to know why the administration kept mum and suppressed the actual incident during a festival like Holi. Our chief whip wanted a discussion on the adjournment motion on this, but this anti-Hindu government does not want the truth to come out," Suvendu said.
"In which country we are living where the word ‘Hindu' cannot be included in a motion drafted by democratically elected people's representatives?" he added.
Suvendu had last week stirred a row with his remarks against Muslim MLAs of the TMC. "If the BJP assumes power, the Muslim MLAs of the Trinamool Congress would be "thrown out" of the assembly," the leader of the opposition had said evoking strong reactions.
Mamata Banerjee had led the attack against Adhikari and said "Your imported Hindu dharma is not supported by the Vedas or by our seers. How can you deny the rights of Muslims as citizens? This is nothing but a fraud. You are importing fake Hinduism."
"I have the right to protect Hindu dharma, but not your version of it. Please don't play the Hindu card," the chief minister had said in the assembly.
"We are a secular, pluralistic nation. Everyone has the right to practice their religion. The duty of the majority is to protect the minority. We must protect our country's sovereignty and secularism. I love all religions, and we condemn any political party's attempts to spread hatred against any community," Mamata had added.
Festivals in Bengal have been a flashpoint between the Trinamool government and the BJP which is now the main opposition party in the state replacing the Left and the Congress. Mamata Banerjee has long been accused by the BJP of appeasing one community in the state. And with assembly elections in the state due next year, we are sure to see much more agression and emotions on both sides of the divide especially around the festivals.