'Anti-national' war cry: CM Suvendu Adhikari rails against dimaagi Naxals, eyes Viksit Bharat

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari lifts a mace after inaugurating a Kali Puja pandal organised by a club in Aranghata, Nadia, on Friday afternoon.  Picture by Abhi Ghosh

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday once again urged people to unite against "anti-national forces", who wanted to weaken the country and were making abusive remarks against the parents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He asked people to stay alert to "dimaagi Naxals", cockroaches and bedbugs, saying united nationalist forces would ensure Viksit Bharat by 2047, in which Bengal's contribution would be significant.

"Those who want to weaken the country and those who use abusive and obscene language against the Prime Minister's parents, be wary of these anti-national forces. Stay away from these dimaagi Naxals, Maoists, cockroaches and bedbugs," the chief minister said after inaugurating a Kali temple in Chandpara of North 24-Parganas.

"The unity of our nationalist people will ensure that the target of Viksit Bharat by 2047 is fulfilled, and a double-engine government in Bengal will play a significant role in achieving this vision," added Suvendu.

Sources said his remarks about the attack on the Prime Minister's parents alluded to the recent controversy over Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge's comments. The Congress quickly hit back at Suvendu, claiming whatever Kharge said was a common Hindi phrase. They pointed out that Modi and BJP leaders had targeted Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, with even more abusive remarks.

"BJP should not speak about what Kharge ji had said, as it was a local phrase in Hindi. I would like to remind them how misogynistic statements were made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders against Sonia ji and other women leaders of the Congress. Their language is what can actually be called abusive and obscene," said Congress spokesperson Mita Chakraborty, who said Suvendu's repeated attacks on Congress and the INDIA bloc proved he, like Modi, was "afraid of the rise of the Opposition".

CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said that repeatedly attacking the Opposition by calling them dimaagi Naxals proved that the BJP leaders were not at peace even during festive days. "He (Suvendu) has been launching such attacks regularly. It is clear that he is afraid of the rise of people across the country against the BJP government," he said.

Suvendu on CAA

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday launched a sharp attack on his predecessor, Mamata Banerjee, and her government for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), due to which thousands of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh who had reached Bengal following religious persecution had suffered. "Because of their opposition, your (CAA) applications were not considered," he said, promising that CAA applications from all refugees who arrived by December 31, 2024, to protect their religion and lives, would be processed by December 31 this year.

"I have given this instruction to the district magistrate. I know that many people had their names deleted from the voter list because they did not have CAA certificates. Please submit your applications; we will process them. We will also issue SC certificates to SC applicants," he said. "Once you get your CAA certificates, the state will take steps to ensure your names are included in the voter list."