RSS concerned at 'decline' of Hindu population in West Bengal

This (decline in Hindu population in West Bengal) is a matter of serious concern to the unity and integrity of the country.

Coimbatore, March 21: The RSS on Tuesday expressed concern over the 'growing Jehadi activities' and the 'declining' Hindu population in West Bengal and and urged the people to create awareness against the state government's communal politics.

It also accused the Mamata Banerjee government of giving encouragement to the anti-national elements due to its 'Muslim vote bank politics.' A resolution adopted at the three-day meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the RSS' top policy making body, also condemned the extremist violence.

"This (decline in Hindu population in West Bengal) is a matter of serious concern to the unity and integrity of the country," RSS Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale told reporters briefing about the deliberations at the meeting.

The resolution said the ABPS strongly "condemns the violence by extremists and the Muslim appeasement policy of the state government and calls upon the countrymen to create awareness against the Jehadi violence and the communal politics of the state government."

Hosabale said after partition, the Hindus from East Pakistan were forced to seek refuge in West Bengal. It was not surprising that due to such large influx, the Hindu population in the state, which constituted 78.45 per cent in 1951 had declined to 70.54 per cent as per the 2011 census, he said.

The meeting also calls upon the state government to rise above petty vote-bank politics and discharge its constitutional obligations, he said. Hosable urged the Centre to ensure firm action against the anti-national jehadi elements within the state in the interest of national security.

Listing out several incidents of bomb blasts, arson, violence and molestation of women reported in West Bengal in the past few years, Hosabale said the worst sufferers of these atrocities on the Hindu society had been the members of Scheduled Castes. "The Hindus were subjected to a pre-planned attack resulting in horrid incidents of arson, looting and molestation of womenfolk at Dhulagadh on December 13 and 14, 2016," he said.

"While on the one hand the state government is threatening to close down the schools which are instilling the spirit of patriotism, on the other hand it is turning a blind eye to thousands of institutions like the notorious Simulia Madrasas where Jehadi and fundamentalist training is being imparted," Hosabale charged.

PTI