The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has distanced itself from controversial remarks made by its senior leader and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim regarding the Muslim percentage in the population. Hakim, in a speech, had claimed that Muslims constitute 33 per cent of the population in West Bengal and 17 per cent nationwide, adding that they could become a numerical majority if they empower themselves. The party issued a statement on Monday condemning Hakim's remarks, asserting that they do not reflect its ideology and commitment to communal harmony. The remarks have sparked a political storm, with the opposition BJP accusing Hakim of attempting to stir communal sentiments. Hakim later clarified that his remarks were misinterpreted and that he was advocating for the empowerment of minorities through education and skill development. However, the controversy has caused ripples within the TMC and complicated the party's messaging.
Trinamool Congress is the second highest recipient of political donations through electoral bonds.
The bus careened and went down to a field behind the highway, leaving a few passengers slightly injured. Its occupants were brought back to Purulia town in West Bengal for medical treatment, a party leader said.
'As per instructions of Dr Sukanta Majumdar, all departments and cells stand dissolved till the time they are reconstituted, and new appointments are made,' said a statement issued by the state BJP.
West Bengal and Assam voted in the first phase of assembly elections on Saturday. Polling was held for 30 seats in West Bengal and 47 seats in Assam amid tight security. Among the long queues of voters, there were some famous faces too who exercised their franchise.
Bharatiya Janata Party's West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh said on Sunday that his party would "restore democracy" in the state if voted to power, warning Trinamool Congress cadres to mend their ways or they will have to either visit hospital or crematorium.
Amidst reports of a possible parting of ways between Janata Dal United and the Bharatiya Janata Party, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had given a call for a federal front, on Wednesday spoke to her Bihar and Odisha counterparts on the issue.
The notice cited Ghosh's alleged remarks that "if someone crosses his limits then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi in several places."
The Trinamool chief has so far said she will not part ways with ally BJP.
'She has just one objective. To win the next election. Nothing else matters.'
'For the first time one single party is getting 49% which is a record of its own.'
In his four years as state party chief, Dilip Ghosh has put his foot in his mouth repeatedly. This hasn't stopped him from getting elected as a legislator in 2016 and as an MP last year.
The students of Jadavpur University said they don't expect anything better from a party like the BJP.
'They are our go-to men, our trouble-shooters.' 'They draw their strength from remaining low-key and accessible only to our workers.'
If the TMC doesn't stop violence, then the children of TMC workers would become orphans, he said.
'She is worried that the small fry have been caught, soon the big fish too will be caught.'
'We are not a dictatorship. If the people do not desire some law, it is impossible for any government to implement it,' says BJP leader Chandra Kumar Bose.
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