Bengal Will Become Kashmir if TMC Elected, Says BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari; Omar Abdullah Takes ‘Paradise’ Jibe

Taking a dig at his former party Trinamool Congress (TMC), BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said that West Bengal would into another Kashmir if the Mamata Banerjee-led party were to come back to power in the state.

Adhikari, BJP’s Nandigram candidate for the upcoming assembly elections in Bengal, also cited Syama Prasad Mookerjee during his speech at Muchipara, Behala to say that if not for the late Jan Sangh founder, India would have been an Islamic country like Bangladesh.

“Had Shyama Prasad Mukherjee not been there, this country would have been an Islamic country and we would be living in Bangladesh. If they (TMC) came back to power, West Bengal will become Kashmir,” said the former aide of Banerjee who is now set to give her a fight in the Nandigram constituency.

Reacting to Adhikari’s remark, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah called the statement “stupid” and “tasteless”.

“But according to you BJP wallas Kashmir has become paradise after August 2019 so what’s wrong with West Bengal becoming Kashmir? Anyway, Bengalis love Kashmir & visit us in large numbers so we forgive you your stupid, tasteless comment,” Abdullah said.

Adhikari’s remark comes just two days after the BJP announced that he would contest against chief minister Mamata Banerjee from his home turf of Nandigram in the elections to be held later this month.

Banerjee had on Friday announced her plan of contesting from Nandigram. Adhikari, who quit TMC last year and joined BJP, claimed that he would quit politics if he does not defeat Banerjee by more than 50,000 votes.