Bengal Minister Says Muslims Can Be 'Bigger Than Majority', BJP Responds
NDTV
A four-time MLA, Firhad Hakim is the mayor of Kolkata and Bengal's minister for urban development, municipal affairs and housing. He is one of the most trusted aides of party chief Mamata Banerjee
A remark by Kolkata mayor and senior Trinamool Congress leader Firhad Hakim, in which he said Muslims could become a "bigger majority than the majority", has sparked a massive row. West Bengal BJP chief and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar has described Mr Hakim's remarks as "pure venom" and accused him of "openly inciting communal hatred and pushing a dangerous agenda". Pure venom from the Kolkata Mayor, TMC's Firhad Hakim openly inciting communal hatred and pushing a dangerous agenda.This isn't just hate speech — it's a blueprint for creating a Bangladesh-type situation in India.Why is the INDI Alliance silent? I challenge them to voice… pic.twitter.com/jIhvVrQTAJ Kolkata's Mayor, Firhad Hakim, previously revealed his true intentions by describing non-Muslims as “unfortunate” and endorsing Dawat-e-Islam's efforts to convert Hindus to Islam. He has now claimed that West Bengal, along with the rest of India, will soon have a Muslim majority.… pic.twitter.com/fjneA8ECIX
In a video that has now gone viral, Mr Hakim is heard making the controversial at an education event under the Firhad 30 initiative to train students for competitive exams.
"We are from a community that accounts for 33 per cent of Bengal's population. In India, however, we account for 17 per cent (of the population) and are called a minority community. But we don't think of ourselves as a minority. We believe that if Allah's grace is with us, we can become a bigger majority than the majority one day," Mr Hakim is heard saying in the video. NDTV cannot verify the video's authenticity.
