Babul Supriyo sheds his ‘communal’ skin before the Bengal by-polls

As snakes shed their skin from their body, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Babul Supriyo is also trying to shed his ‘communal’ skin before the Bengal by-polls. He is trying to fulfil the compulsory requirement to become a TMC leader i.e., Muslim appeasement.

Babul Supriyo’s Political career

Babul Supriyo was trusted so much by BJP that he was given a ministerial berth in his very first term as MP. He was the youngest minister in the first term of the Modi government. He was Minister of State for Urban Development; Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and later in 2016 was Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise. Contesting from Asansol’s parliamentary seat, he won both the time on the BJP ticket, defeating TMC’s candidate Dola Sen in 2014 and Moon Moon Sen in 2019.

In the 2021 Bengal Assembly Election, he contested on a BJP ticket from the Tollygunj constituency but lost with TMC’s Aroop Biswas with a margin of 50000 votes. And after the loss of the BJP in the election, he left the party and later decided to join TMC. Now, TMC has fielded Supriyo from the Ballygunge constituency.

The Ballygunge seat and its history

The Ballygunge seat was vacated due to the demise of TMC’s veteran leader Subrata Mukherjee. It is pertinent to note that, Muslims comprise about 50% of the vote share on the Ballygunge assembly seat from where Babul Supriyo is contesting the election. It is considered one of the safest seats for TMC. Although, opposition candidates are forming issues about his connection with BJP. But TMC is contesting in the name of Mamata Banerjee.

Further, the niece of Naseeruddin Shah is also contenting from there on CPM’s ticket. And, From BJP, Keya Gosh is holding the fort.

Vote me because I performed in Pakistan

Talking to ANI he said, “A fake communal stamp was imposed over my image. I was among those few singers who performed shows in Pakistan.” The statement given by him reflects his address to a particular section of society. He is trying to indirectly say that Muslims in India must vote for him because he has performed in Islamist Pakistan. He further adds that earlier he used to meet with only 70% of the population but now he will be able to meet with 100%. It seems that he is betting more on 30% rather than 70%.

In the light of the by-poll, the ‘minority’ appeasement becomes necessary to get the vote. Furthermore, to please the Muslim voters Supriyo brought out his visit to Pakistan, which reflects his political understanding that there is a bridge of loyalty between Muslims in India and Pakistan.

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The fear 

The Muslim appeasement and veil of ‘secularism’ is the direct result of a violent strategy to win an election. Earlier, after Bengal Assembly Election 2021, TMC’s party workers had unleashed a series of attacks on opposition leaders and party workers. Women were raped and many people had to flee their homes to save their life. To save himself from the attack of TMC and the Islamists, Babul Supriyo left BJP and later joined TMC.

The Post Poll Violence in Bengal led by TMC and Mamata Banerjee is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The growing radicalism in the state has created an atmosphere of fear in the state. A parallel industry of Bomb-making is growing in the state. Security agencies daily recover homemade Bombs from different places in Bengal. Now Bomb-making industry has become a cottage industry that everyone at home makes. 

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Definition of secularism

Wearing a skull cap, having an Iftar party and sermonizing about secularism define the Indian definition of secularism. The constant attempt to show secularism from the prism of Muslim appeasement is a bigoted effort to gain votes.

The influx of migration and change in demography is changing the power dividend in Bengal. Moreover, with the help of parties like Congress, TMC, SP, AAP, RJD etc, bigoted forces are spreading their Islamist agenda. These parties give them the liberty to spread hatred in society and they enjoy the political powers.

Babul Supriyo’s statement to link Indian Muslims with Pakistan is nothing but a Muslim appeasement effort to get the votes in the by-poll. It can be seen in the over the year process of opposition to divide Hindus on caste line and unite Muslims on religion line to get the accumulated votes of a particular community in furtherance to not let Hindus realise their strength of votes. Nothing else can be expected from a TMC candidate.