Kolkata : Senior BJP leader and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has ignited a political storm with his controversial comments advising people to “avoid places where Muslims are in a majority”. His remarks, made during a press interaction on Thursday, were swiftly condemned by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which accused him of spreading communal hatred and echoing terrorist propaganda, reported the Times of India.
While discussing the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and referencing the visit of former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to Bengal, Adhikari stated:
“Don’t go to places where Muslims are in a majority. If you want to visit Kashmir, go to Jammu instead. Your life is the priority — save your children, your sister, your mother. Go to Himachal, Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, Odisha… but stay away from Muslim-majority areas.”
Adhikari further attempted to distance his comments from the party line, saying they reflected his “personal opinion” and not his role as a BJP MLA.
The statement triggered sharp condemnation from the TMC. In a strongly-worded response on X (formerly Twitter), the party said:
“The terrorists attacked Pahalgam to cripple Kashmir’s economy, and Suvendu is delivering exactly what they wanted. This is a disgraceful, calculated act of communal provocation.”
The TMC also accused the BJP of attempting to erase the secular fabric of India and asserted that such divisive rhetoric had no place in a democracy.
“We won’t allow BJP to burn bridges — not in Kashmir, not in Bengal, not anywhere in India,” the party declared.
State Minister Shashi Panja also linked Adhikari’s outburst to Omar Abdullah’s visit, saying, “He is rattled and frustrated. The Union Government has claimed that normalcy has returned to Kashmir. Then why such fear-mongering?”
In another controversial claim, Adhikari referred to Bengali-speaking residents of Delhi’s Jai Hind Colony as “Rohingya Muslims,” dismissing reports that they were living without basic amenities like water and electricity.
“There is no evidence. These are not Bengalis, but Rohingyas being removed from voter rolls. Let them show Aadhaar and EPIC cards,” he told the media.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam, who also chairs the Migrant Workers’ Welfare Board, hit back stating:
“This is why we say BJP is anti-Bengali. They’re targeting Bengali migrants — both Hindus and Muslims — across BJP-ruled states.” He cited the case of Sujan Sarkar, a Bengali Hindu migrant worker from Murshidabad who was recently assaulted in Odisha, as an example of the widespread hostility.
“BJP’s campaign of vilification against Bengalis, based on language and culture, is an insult to India’s unity in diversity. Migrant workers are nation-builders, not scapegoats for political propaganda,” Islam added.
The incident has reignited debate over communal politics, identity-based targeting, and the political weaponization of migration and religion in India.
