Amartya Sen's Concerns on Linguistic Intolerance Prompt BJP's Suvendu Adhikari to Question His Motives

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has raised questions about Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's intentions following his comments on electoral roll revisions and linguistic intolerance towards Bengali speakers. Adhikari refrained from direct criticism but suggested that Sen may be trying to appease West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Concerns about electoral roll revisions and linguistic intolerance were raised by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. Following this, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari questioned if Sen was attempting to curry favour with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Adhikari refrained from directly addressing Sen's remarks, citing the economist's international reputation and age as reasons for his restraint.

Adhikari speculated on Sen's motives, suggesting that his comments might be aimed at appeasing Banerjee. "Is he trying to please someone like Mamata Banerjee with such utterances? It is a tragedy," remarked the Nandigram MLA. Sen had voiced concerns about rising linguistic intolerance, particularly against Bengali speakers in several states.

Electoral Roll Concerns

Sen also highlighted issues with the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He warned that if not managed carefully, this process could disenfranchise many poor and marginalised individuals. Adhikari countered these concerns, claiming that no Muslims had protested against SIR in Bihar and accused Banerjee of misleading minorities in West Bengal about the revision.

Adhikari alleged that the TMC leader was using the issue to consolidate minority votes since 2019. He asserted that the SIR aims to remove fraudulent voters from Bangladesh and the Rohingya communities, which he claimed were previously used as vote banks by the TMC during elections.

Citizenship Amendment Act

According to Adhikari, around 30,000-40,000 people have applied for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. He argued that no one had been misled by TMC's propaganda regarding this issue. He assured that bona fide Indian citizens, including Hindus and minorities, would remain safe when BJP assumes power in West Bengal.

Sen humorously noted media reports suggesting Bengali-speaking individuals from West Bengal were being pushed to Bangladesh on suspicions of their origins. He joked about potentially being sent back to Dhaka due to his family's roots there. Meanwhile, Adhikari maintained that no Muslims were displaced during any enumeration exercise related to electoral roll revisions.

Adhikari expressed confidence that Banerjee would not be able to leverage the NRC issue in the 2026 assembly elections as she had done previously. He reiterated that genuine Indian citizens should not fear and would be secure under BJP governance in West Bengal.

With inputs from PTI