Suvendu Adhikari urged people to stand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sharpened his attack on the CJP
He repeated his criticism of the so-called 'Dimagi Naxal' and 'tukde tukde' gang, linking it to Bengal politics
In Ramnagar, he called for elocution, quiz and debate competitions in schools and colleges to instil nationalism
West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday urged people to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sharpened his attack on the CJP, framing the appeal as part of a wider political fight against what he called the "Dimagi Naxal" and "tukde tukde" gang. The remarks marked an escalation a day after he compared the outfit's alleged influence with the spread of pests and coronavirus, Hindustan Times reported.
"Stand with PM Modi, don't let 'Dimagi Naxal', 'tukde tukde' gang, cockroaches breed," Adhikari said. Hindustan Times reported that he paired the latest swipe with criticism of the previous Trinamool Congress government, which he accused of appeasement, neglecting nationalism and trying to turn Bengal into "Greater Bangladesh".
The remarks matter because Adhikari widened the attack beyond one party label and tied it to education, culture and recruitment into national institutions. His comments also came a day after a speech in Ramnagar and after a visit to the family of a person who died in the October 17 stampede at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal.
Ramnagar Remarks
The attack began a day earlier.
Speaking in Ramnagar on Sunday, Adhikari called for annual elocution, quiz and debate competitions in educational institutions to instil nationalism among students, PTI reported, as cited by Hindustan Times. He linked the proposal to his criticism of groups he accused of spreading anti-national ideas.
"Vices like cockroaches, bedbugs, tukde tukde gangs… which are trying to spread like the coronavirus… would not have required the spraying of 'Hit' (had they not tried to spread)," he said. He was referring to the brand of mosquito and bug-repellent spray.
The speech showed that Adhikari was not limiting himself to a one-line political attack. He tied the issue to campuses and argued that regular student competitions could shape nationalist thinking from an early stage.
TMC And Left Targets
Adhikari then turned to the Left and the TMC.
He targeted the Left parties and the 15-year rule of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, accusing both of trying to weaken Bengal's cultural inheritance. "The 34-year long regime of the 'nastik' (atheist) Communists and the 15-year dispensation (of the TMC) tried to erase people's heritage and culture," he said.
He also alleged that the previous TMC government tried to stop enrolments in the National Cadet Corps in educational institutions and brought in the Jai Hind Vahini in its place. The accusation formed part of a larger argument that state policy had moved students away from institutions tied to national service.
"Being in the NCC would have helped the students get selected as Agniveers in the armed forces," Adhikari said. The comment connected his criticism of past education choices with recruitment opportunities for students.
Pandal Visit Context
The remarks came after a bereavement visit.
Adhikari made the comments after meeting the family of a person who died in a stampede at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on October 17. That meeting formed the immediate backdrop to his wider comments on politics and education.
He also accused the previous TMC government of glorifying those who drove Tata Motors out of Singur by including them in a chapter in school history textbooks. That charge extended his criticism from political culture to what students are taught in classrooms.
"Changes will be seen in the syllabi from the next academic year," he said. He added that the National Education Policy would be implemented in West Bengal.
