West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on January 3 accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of practising “soft Hindutva” to stop consolidation of “Hindu votes” in favour of BJP.
Trinamool Congress practices Muslim appeasement and it has started backfiring in several parts of the State, Mr. Ghosh said. His comment comes in the backdrop of Ms. Banerjee’s visit to a temple in Birbhum district on January 2.
“If we go to temple we are branded as communal. But if Trinamool leaders visit temples, they are secular. The Trinamool is practising soft Hindutva in Bengal to stop the consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of BJP,” Mr. Ghosh said at the sidelines of a two day organisational meet of the party in Kolkata.
ADVERTISEMENT
Citing Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to temples in Gujarat during the Assembly poll campaign, Mr. Ghosh said Ms. Banerjee is taking lessons from Mr. Gandhi in practising “soft Hindutva”.
“The so called secular leaders are practising Hindutva because they are well aware that Hindus are uniting under BJP. They have realised that they will no longer be able to win elections by appeasing Muslims,” Mr. Ghosh said.