Suvendu Adhikari’s vituperation against Muslims and perceived bid to anoint himself as the protector of Hindus in Bengal have reportedly raised eyebrows in the BJP in which a section of leaders is worried about the electoral impact of the invectives.

“The Bengal BJP has multiple seniors who are rather uncomfortable with Adhikari’s fulminations against Muslims and are apprehensive of the eventual electoral outcome of the no-punches-pulled demonisation of the community to consolidate Hindu votes. What works elsewhere has almost never worked in Bengal,” said a BJP insider, who underscored that not a single senior leader had agreed to officially comment on Adhikari’s latest diatribe against the Muslims who form at least 30 per cent of the population in Bengal.

The only one to conspicuously cry himself hoarse in defending Adhikari’s honour has been the Opposition chief whip in the Assembly, Shankar Ghosh, a CPM turncoat who is the BJP’s Siliguri MLA at present.

A state BJP functionary has pointed out that the party remains (at least on paper) committed to secularism and the fourth of its five guiding principles — the Pancha Nishtha — for its political path is: “Sarva dharma sambhava, commitment to positive
secularism.”

“The BJP is firmly against minoritism but not against minorities. Deliberately antagonising a third of the Bengal electorate will not help our cause,” he said.

“Besides, who appointed (Adhikari) the lord protector of all of Bengal’s Hindus? Why is it always so pompously about him and him alone… not the party or even Narendra Modi?” asked the leader.

On Tuesday, the leader of the Opposition had said: “Aar oder j kota Muslim bidhayok jitey ashbey — BJP shorkarey ashbey —chyangdola korey tuley rastay phelbo! Dosh mash pore, ei rastay phelbo (And their Muslim MLAs that will emerge victorious and come here — the BJP will form the government — we will pick them up by the arms and the legs and throw them on the road! Ten months later, we will throw them on this
very road)!”

On Wednesday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee mounted a spirited philippic against the remark and accused him of importing a “fake” variant of Hinduism that was alien
to Bengal.

Avowedly secular and pluralist for over two decades as her protege in Trinamool, Adhikari has been increasingly vitriolic in his newfound fondness for communalism since switching sides in December 2020.

In July last year, Adhikari had declared that Prime Minister Modi’s slogan of sabka saath, sabka vikas (with everyone, development for everyone) should be replaced with jo hamarey saath, hum unkey saath (with only those who are with us), before proposing to abolishing the BJP’s Minority Morcha.

When the turmoil in Bangladesh intensified, Adhikari sensed in it an opportunity to push the envelope to consolidate Hindu votes through polarisation, repeatedly claiming to be the voice of all of Bengal’s Hindus.

However, many influential sections in the BJP — in Bengal and Delhi — do have firm faith in the Adhikari experiment. “This is the only way for that three-four per cent boost to our vote share, which we need to seize power in Bengal. The 38.73 per cent last summer was entirely Hindu. He (Adhikari) is on the right track,” said a state BJP leader, claiming equidistance from the main factions in the state unit.

He pointed out that despite substantial discussions even at the “highest levels” in Delhi, there has been no apparent attempt to rein in Adhikari. The BJP’s MPs from Bengal, including state president Sukanta Majumdar, are currently there for the Parliament session.

“That will change when we find a better alternative to what you might consider hackneyed and loathsome, but we consider fearsome and effective — the weapon of polarisation,” said the leader.

Trinamul Congress sources said its top brass was “delighted” with the Adhikari approach, as it virtually cemented the ruling party’s victories in 120-plus of the 294 seats — where minorities largely decide the electoral outcome — even before a single vote is polled.

“On the other hand, look at us. Suvendu complained against our (Bharatpur MLA) Humayun Kabir for his so-called threatening remark yesterday (on Wednesday). Today, Humayun was unsparingly show-caused by the party. The BJP complained against the remarks of (minister) Siddiqullah Chowdhury and he was personally told by the supreme leadership not to repeat such things,” said a senior on the Treasury benches.

The showcause and the purported warning followed more drama in the House on Thursday when BJP MLAs staged a walkout because Speaker Biman Banerjee rejected a demand for a discussion on the “threatening” remarks against Adhikari by Kabir and Chowdhury.

Trinamool state general secretary Kunal Ghosh highlighted the action taken by his party and said there was not even a statement disowning the Adhikari remark.

“Forget condemnation or penal action, was there even one statement by anybody from the party stating that the BJP does not stand by this? That, please note, is where we are not them,” said Ghosh.

Additional reporting by Pranesh Sarkar