West Bengals CM Criticizes TMC for Favoring Specific Minority Community

Kolkata, November 15 (Daily Kiran) : Kolkata’s Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari launched a sharp critique of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday. He accused the previous government of exclusively promoting one particular minority community while sidelining others.

Speaking at an event for the Sikh community ahead of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Adhikari claimed that the former administration viewed minorities through a narrow lens. He stated, “For the TMC and the former Chief Minister, only one specific community represented the entire minority spectrum. However, Sikhs, Jains, and Parsis also belong to this group.”

Adhikari praised the nationalistic sentiments of the Sikh community, asserting that his administration treats all religious minorities equally. He criticized the prior government’s focus on Muslim welfare under the guise of “minority development.”

In response, TMC dismissed these allegations outright. A party spokesperson defended Mamata Banerjee’s tenure, highlighting initiatives aimed at the development of the Sikh community recorded in the state’s history. The spokesperson emphasized that Banerjee always believed in communal unity and never engaged in divisive politics, unlike those who followed her.

Political analysts suggest that Adhikari’s remarks reflect the broader narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accuses the opposition of practicing appeasement politics.

In the recent assembly elections, Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Bhawanipur constituency by over 15,000 votes, with significant support from Sikh and Jain voters who rallied behind his campaign.